The unchanging divide: housework and labour responsibilities in late family stages

Publication type

Research Paper

Series Number

Author

Publication date

December 30, 2024

Summary:

This paper investigates the allocation of paid labour market and unpaid domestic work during two critical late stages of the family life cycle: when young adult children (aged sixteen to thirty) reside in the parental home and after their emancipation. Using longitudinal data from the U.K., we employ OLS regressions and a dynamic difference-indifferences approach to analyze parental time arrangements. Our findings reveal persistent gender disparities, with mothers bearing the majority of housework even in female breadwinner households, while fathers' contributions remain minimal. Young adult children provide limited support, with daughters contributing slightly more than sons. Emancipation results in only a modest reduction in mothers' housework, leaving longstanding imbalances largely unchanged. A counterfactual analysis highlights the potential for equitable housework redistribution to alleviate mothers' domestic workload and reduce associated earnings penalties. These findings underscore the need for policies that encourage men's active participation in housework and foster young adults' involvement in shared domestic responsibilities, especially given trends of delayed emancipation.

DOI

http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5076616

Subjects

#588754

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