Determinants of Family Solidarity during the Great Recession: the Spanish Case

Abstract

During an economic crisis affecting countries in Southern Europe especially and that has called into question the public pillar of the intergenerational contract, literature has shown an increasing interest in analyzing the other intergenerational pillar, largely based on family solidarity and underexplored for the Spanish case. Based on official data provided by the Time Use Survey (TUS) and the Household Budget Survey (HBS), an effort has been made to identify, the individual factors that determined certain expressions of family solidarity and their participation and intensity of time and money transfers in one of the most critical moments of this crisis in Spain (2009/2010). Results question the idea that the unemployed and the retired have been net recipients during the crisis, revealing the wide range of support and transfers that circulate among family members.

Durante la crisis que ha afectado especialmente a los países del sur de Europa, cuestionando el pilar público del contrato intergeneracional, la literatura muestra un interés creciente por analizar el otro pilar intergeneracional basado mayormente en la solidaridad familiar e insuficientemente explorado en España. Se busca identificar – en base a datos del Time Use Survey (TUS) y el Household Budget Survey (HBS)- factores individuales que determinaron expresiones de solidaridad familiar, su participación e intensidad en tiempo y transferencias en uno de los momentos más críticos de la crisis en España (2009/2010). Los resultados cuestionan la idea de que las personas desempleadas y jubiladas sean meros receptores durante la crisis revelando el abanico de apoyos que circulan entre familias.