Moldovan Families with Children During COVID-19 Pandemic: Material Situation and Adaptiv Strategies

Basing on a sociological survey in October-November 2020, changes in the material situation of families with children in Moldova and adaptive strategies were analyzed using a representative national sample, as well as official statistics. The results of the study showed that during the Covid-19 pandemic, about half of the country's families faced income reductions. Young families, families with three or more children, and labor migrant families forced to return from working abroad found themselves in a particularly difficult situation. An assessment of the families' financial situation largely depended on the changes in the respondents' work activity. Among those working remotely and who continued to work as usual, as a rule employed in the public sector, a small proportion of respondents suffered economic losses, while among those who lost their jobs or were on involuntary technical leave, mostly in the private sector, more than two-thirds faced serious financial difficulties. Among returning labor migrants, seven out of ten noted a decrease in the income of their families. In overcoming eventual material difficulties, the respondents pin little hopes on government assistance. The main mechanisms for the adaptation of the population to new conditions were the search for additional work, borrowing money from relatives and orientation towards working migration.