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Survey: Housework divide persists among opposite-sex couples despite closing pay gap

Women still take on more household duties

DEARBORN, Mich. – Despite progress in pay equality for some couples, a recent survey by the PEW Research Center reveals that the divide in housework remains a challenge.

The survey shows that even when women earn more money than their husbands, they still spend more time on household chores and child care.

Dr. Rose Moten, a clinical psychologist at the BLOOM Transformation Center, confirms the survey findings, stating that the gender gap in domestic duties is still prevalent.

The study found that in 29% of heterosexual marriages, men and women earn around the same income, at roughly $60,000 each. However, husbands spend an average of three and a half hours more per week on leisure activities than their wives, while wives spend around two hours more per week on caregiving and two and a half hours more on housework.

While Moten says men are taking on more responsibilities than in the past, the survey found that in 55% of opposite-sex marriages, men are still the primary or sole breadwinners, compared to 16% of marriages where wives outearn their husbands.

“Even though we see this, this gap closing with salaries and the income that is being earned there still, unfortunately, some expectations that women should still be able to handle all of those things that the women of the 50s were able to handle when they did not work 40, 50, 60 hours outside of the household,” Moten said.

Moreover, the survey revealed that Black women are “significantly more likely” than other women to be the primary breadwinners, with 26% earning more compared to 17% of White women and 13% of Hispanic women.

Moten emphasizes the need for open conversations between partners about these expectations. “These are conversations we cannot be afraid to have,” she said.


About the Author
Priya Mann headshot

Priya joined WDIV-Local 4 in 2013 as a reporter and fill-in anchor. Education: B.A. in Communications/Post Grad in Advanced Journalism

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