Though women have been earning more in recent years, those in opposite-sex marriages still contribute more to housework and childcare than their husbands do.
A new report from the Pew Research Center found that even in marriages where the husband and wife contribute equally to finances, women still spend more than double the time on housework. Only 29 percent of couples have equal salaries between the husband and wife, but this has grown significantly from 10 percent in 1972.
The report found that women contribute 4.6 hours per week, whereas men contribute just 1.9 hours per week. Women also contribute two hours more per week in childcare than men. In contrast, men contribute three hours more of paid work than their wives, but also get three and a half more hours of leisure time.
Kim Parker, director of social trends research at the Pew Research Center, told NPR that this can be accounted for by the social roles expected of women and men in households.
"We've seen a narrowing of the gap over the years with men taking on more hours of housework and childcare as more women have gone into the workplace," she said, "But that imbalance — we still see it today. It's definitely not equal."
The survey also found that people believe men's contributions in paid work are more valued than time in housework, with 57 percent saying society values what men do at work more, and 7 percent saying they were more valued in the home. In comparison, 20 percent believe women are more valued at work, whereas 31 percent said women's contributions are more valued in the home.
Of the respondents, 77 percent said children benefit more by having both parents at work and at home for equal time. A division appeared among political party lines, with 85 percent of Democrats agreeing, as opposed to 68 percent of Republicans. Nearly 30 percent of Republicans believed children benefitted more when their father spends more time at work and mother spends more time at home.
"I think public attitudes are kind of lagging behind the economic realities that husbands and wives are facing these days," Parker added.
