Investigating the influence of parents' work hours on children's human capital formation: An empirical study of Chinese families

The increasing workload and work hours among contemporary Chinese families have raised concerns about the potential adverse effects of parental absence on children's cognitive and noncognitive performance. This research applied a nationwide survey, the Chinese Family Panel Studies (CFPS) dataset, focusing on teenagers under the age of 16, to reveal children’s recognition performance relying on parents’ time allocation at work, which subsequently affects children’s grades in school. This study analyzed data from four China Family Panel Studies conducted between 2012 and 2018, examining the impact of parental average weekly working hours on the academic performance of their children aged 9–15. The finding showed that as parents work longer hours, their children's test scores and class rankings tend to decline. However, this effect varies depending on factors such as children’ gender. Mothers' education level and the frequency of parent-child discussions or arguments each month play a role in mitigating the adverse impact of parental working hours on children's academic performance. The study suggests that in addition to investing in their children's education, families should prioritize positive interactions with their children. Policy-makers should also implement regulations on working hours to protect workers and their children's rights.