Exactly how much housework does a husband create?

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Diane Swanbrow, University of Michigan

ANN ARBOR, Mich.---Having a husband creates an extra seven hours a week of housework for women, according to a University of Michigan study of a nationally representative sample of U.S. families.

For men, the picture is very different: A wife saves men from about an hour of housework a week.

The findings are part of a detailed study of housework trends, based on 2005 time-diary data from the federally-funded Panel Study of Income Dynamics, conducted since 1968 at the U-M Institute for Social Research (ISR).

"It's a well-known pattern," said ISR economist Frank Stafford, who directs the study. "There's still a significant reallocation of labor that occurs at marriage---men tend to work more outside the home, while women take on more of the household labor. Certainly there are all kinds of individual differences here, but in general, this is what happens after marriage. And the situation gets worse for women when they have children."

Overall, the amount of housework done by U.S. women has dropped considerably since 1976, while the amount of housework done by men has increased, according to Stafford. In 1976, women did an average of 26 hours of housework a week, compared with about 17 hours in 2005. Men did about six hours of housework a week in 1976, compared with about 13 hours in 2005.

But when the researchers looked at just the last 10 years, comparing how much housework single men and women in their 20s did in 1996 with how much they did in 2005 if they stayed single versus if they got married, they found a slightly different pattern.

Both the men and the women who got married did more housework than those who stayed single, the analysis showed. "Marriage is no longer a man's path to less housework," said Stafford, a professor in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts.

For the study, researchers analyzed data from time diaries, considered the most accurate way to assess how people spend their time. They supplemented the analysis with data from questionnaires asking both men and women to recall how much time they spent on basic housework in an average week, including time spent cooking, cleaning and doing other basic work around the house. Excluded from these "core" housework hours were tasks like gardening, home repairs, or washing the car.

The researchers also examined how age and the number of children, as well as marital status and age, influenced time spent doing housework.

Single women in their 20s and 30s did the least housework---about 12 works a week on average, while married women in their 60s and 70s did the most---about 21 hours a week. Men showed a somewhat different pattern. Older men did more housework than younger men, but single men did more in all age groups than married men.

Married women with more than three kids did an average of about 28 hours of housework a week. Married men with more than three kids, by comparison, logged only about 10 hours of housework a week.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/200...m-ehm040408.php

[mawilson 2,133]

For men, the picture is very different: A wife saves men from about an hour of housework a week.

Not much. Considering the expenses, it's more cost-effective to hire a cleaning lady.

[Nessa 23]

For men, the picture is very different: A wife saves men from about an hour of housework a week.

Not much. Considering the expenses, it's more cost-effective to hire a cleaning lady.

depends on the wife. I bring home money and I'm not into shopping, jewelery, eating out, partying, etc. So it's cheaper to have me than a a cleaning lady. Unless it's an illegal cleaning lady,then who knows..

[*JG* 2]

7 hours a week? Obviously they have never met my husband. My guess would be MUCH higher!

[mawilson 2,133]

For men, the picture is very different: A wife saves men from about an hour of housework a week.

Not much. Considering the expenses, it's more cost-effective to hire a cleaning lady.

depends on the wife. I bring home money and I'm not into shopping, jewelery, eating out, partying, etc. So it's cheaper to have me than a a cleaning lady. Unless it's an illegal cleaning lady,then who knows..

Charles is a lucky man.

[*JG* 2]

While we are on the subject of illegal cleaning persons........anyone watch "Keeping up with the Kardashians"?

As a general rule, I hate that show. Last night, I just happened to stop on the channel and see the youngest girl paying this guy to do her chores. Her dad gave her $20 for selected chores like walking the dog, cleaning her room, doing the dishes, etc., and she paid some neighborhood guy $5 to do them for her. It was brilliant and hilarious.

I need a cleaning person who works that cheaply.

[DARUMA07 25]

7 hours a week? Obviously they have never met my husband. My guess would be MUCH higher!

[Alex+R 0]

For men, the picture is very different: A wife saves men from about an hour of housework a week.

Not much. Considering the expenses, it's more cost-effective to hire a cleaning lady.

depends on the wife. I bring home money and I'm not into shopping, jewelery, eating out, partying, etc. So it's cheaper to have me than a a cleaning lady. Unless it's an illegal cleaning lady,then who knows..

Charles is a lucky man.

You get two people together who have no interest in doing anything, and you're bound to save money. Around here, I can't believe how dirty it gets sometimes in four days. I have trouble keeping up with my own stuff, like putting my laundry away and organizing my files/not leaving paper everywhere. Hiring a cleaning lady might not save us money but it would save us peace of mind. I've got so many better things to do than maintain a spotless house.

[Peikko 1,575]

I would be interested in a more detailed analysis of how much time families spend making/consuming/cleaning up after meals.

[mawilson 2,133]

You get two people together who have no interest in doing anything, and you're bound to save money. Around here, I can't believe how dirty it gets sometimes in four days. I have trouble keeping up with my own stuff, like putting my laundry away and organizing my files/not leaving paper everywhere. Hiring a cleaning lady might not save us money but it would save us peace of mind. I've got so many better things to do than maintain a spotless house.

I agree. My time's too valuable to waste on cleaning - that's what cleaners are for.

The cute little iRobot Scooba comes in handy too.

[Sister Fracas 5]

I concur with the study...

...think I'm gonna go on strike.....

[Krikit 1,164]

ANN ARBOR, Mich.---Having a husband creates an extra seven hours a week of housework for women, according to a University of Michigan study of a nationally representative sample of U.S. families.

For men, the picture is very different: A wife saves men from about an hour of housework a week.

In my household, my husband does no housework. Nada. Zip. Zero. None. For me..... that man definitely creates more than an extra seven hours per week.

[Krikit 1,164]

Still trying to reconcile the statements that husbands create 7 additional hours of work for the wife, yet those same husbands are only realizing a one hour savings?

[Peikko 1,575]

Maybe the implication is that if they know there is someone around to tidy up, they make more mess?

[Ban Hammer 13,346]

For men, the picture is very different: A wife saves men from about an hour of housework a week.

Not much. Considering the expenses, it's more cost-effective to hire a cleaning lady.

depends on the wife. I bring home money and I'm not into shopping, jewelery, eating out, partying, etc. So it's cheaper to have me than a a cleaning lady. Unless it's an illegal cleaning lady,then who knows..

Charles is a lucky man.