More women now earn as much as their husbands but continue to do more at home
Source: CNN, New York
Few women might find it unsurprising that even when wives earn the same as or more than their husbands, they still dedicate more time to household chores and childcare. On the other hand, husbands tend to spend more time on paid work and leisure, as per a recent study by the Pew Research Center. Despite the financial equality in many marriages, the division of time between work and home responsibilities remains unequal.
In about 29% of heterosexual marriages today, both partners earn similar amounts, approximately $60,000 each. However, husbands in such egalitarian marriages spend roughly 3.5 more hours per week on leisure activities compared to their wives. Meanwhile, wives in these unions tend to invest around 2 hours more per week in caregiving and about 2.5 more hours in housework than their husbands.
Conversely, in 55% of opposite-sex marriages, men are the primary or sole earners, bringing in a median income of $96,000 compared to their wives’ $30,000. In 16% of marriages, wives outearn their husbands as either the main (10%) or sole (6%) breadwinners, with women earning a median of $88,000 against their husbands’ $35,000.
It is noted that men reportedly spend more time on caregiving than their wives only in cases where the woman is the sole breadwinner. In such households, the time spent on household chores is evenly split between husbands and wives.
These statistics signify a significant shift from the scenario 50 years ago when husbands were the primary breadwinners in 85% of marriages. Today, the likelihood of women becoming primary or sole breadwinners varies based on age, family status, education, and race.
For instance, the research indicates that Black women are more inclined to outearn their husbands than other demographics. Approximately 26% of Black women earn more than their spouses, while the same holds true for only 17% of White women and 13% of Hispanic women.
Furthermore, Black women with a college degree or higher and fewer dependents at home are among those most likely to earn equal to their husbands. These findings reflect society’s prevailing views on income disparities and the division of caregiving responsibilities within spousal relationships.
Pew’s study draws from three key data sources: earnings data from the US Census’ Current Population Survey, insights from the American Time Use Survey, and a comprehensive survey of public opinions gathered from 5,152 US adults in January.
To read more about this study, visit Source link
