The purpose of my research was to utilize the Current Population Survey (CPS) to measure the increase in gender unemployment rates between rural and urban United States during the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective was to assess whether the she-cession, which is a female recession, was greater in rural or urban areas and to provide first estimates on whether these impacts have been long-lasting—using recently released data from the April-June waves of the CPS. To address these evidence gaps, my research team seeked to answer three research questions. First, was the COVID-19 related she-cession more prominent in rural areas compared to urban areas? This is important because assessing the differences in women’s employment rates between rural and urban US will clarify existing gender and regional inequalities that became further aggravated during the pandemic. Second, did this recession also extend to affecting disparities among parental groups with gender and rural-urban groups? Specifically, we estimate whether parents with children in the households were more affected than those without children. The possibility of a parent-cession could be explained by the closure of childcare resources, which could influence the pace of the labor market recovery post-pandemic for working parents. Finally, were the effects of the potential she-cession and parent-cession long lasting, in that these employment shocks and resulting disparities still present when using the most recent waves of data in 2022?
My interest in an ARIA project was based on the fact that McGill as a university is renowned for their research. As an undergraduate at their institution, I felt like my education would be incomplete if I did not expose myself to this resource on campus. After working with Professor Shelley Clark and Post Doc fellow Matthew Brooks throughout this internship, I was exposed first hand to the research process which uncovered a new-found passion of mine. By helping to expose my research interest, this internship further clarified my journey after graduation. I would be interested in further researching sociology in the future.
My objectives in the ARIA project were to learn: the process of research, how to use the library as a resource, and my interests in research. Throughout this internship, I learned the process of research can be highly collaborative with a great deal of brainstorming amongst the team. I learned that a research question can be developed through trial and error, and reading through already existing research can further guide your current project. Through the ARIA library workshop, I learned how to use the library database to conduct and collect research on topics that were similar to my own. Not only did this benefit me in my current research, but it will be useful knowledge in my semesters left at McGill. Finally, while I had some exposure to research prior to this internship, I was not sure if it was a true interest of mine. After this summer however, I can clearly see my interest in the research process and it is something I would want to further expose myself to in the future.
A highlight of this internship was being able to work one-on-one with a McGill professor, which is such an incredible opportunity for any undergraduate student. It was specifically such an honor to work with Shelley Clark and Matthew Brooks, and to be exposed to their extensive knowledge and experience with social demography. Their passion and expertise in sociological research were truly inspiring. Another highlight was being able to attend the CPDecades conference where professors and demographers presented their current research. This experience taught me the extensive possibilities of research, and how I could apply my economics degree to various topics. For example, one of the economics professors at the conference, Sonia Laszlo, looked at the beliefs about gender norms by collecting evidence from Paraguay. I thought this was incredibly fascinating, and it is a subject of economics that I would like to further explore.
While the ARIA project presented many highlights, there were also some challenges along the way. Since a new research project can be complex and unfounded, I struggled at times to know how to proceed with the research. I was unsure of how to dedicate my time and what was expected of me in the project. I overcame this challenge by keeping in constant communication with my supervisor, via email and weekly meetings. I sent in weekly progress reports of my work, and asked my supervisor how I should proceed in my research.
I would love to thank my donor, Mr. Harry Samuel, for making this internship possible and for furthering me in my career. I am incredibly grateful for this opportunity that would not have been possible without your help.
