Men or Women? Who Works Harder?

In the past decades, gender roles have become increasingly complex for both men and women. These days, in the majority of American families, women work outside the home in the traditional workplace, while still maintaining domestic tasks. Likewise, men contribute more on the domestic front while still pursuing their careers. Given these increasingly intermingled roles, many couples argue about who contributes more to the family overall.

According to a study released in March by the Pew Research Center, 60% of two-parent American households (with children 18 years old or younger) are dual-income families. In summary, the average “division of labor” for these families is as follows:

Women, while working outside the home, still contribute 12 more hours weekly than their male counterparts inside the home (housework and childcare)

Men, while contributing to housework and childcare, still log 11 more hours weekly in the workplace than their female counterparts

In total, the hours of weekly “work” are almost identical: Women put in 59 hours, men put it 58.