Women work more than men. Everyone knows that. Except the data don’t support that, unless you’re really selective with the categories you call work.†
Of all places, Men’s Health came up with this whopper (the article appeared in my feed from Pocket):
… In 1965, women spent on average 42 hours a week on chores and childcare and nine hours on paid work. In 2016, they spent 32 hours a week on those domestic duties and almost tripled their paid work hours. Men today, by comparison, spend 43 hours a week on paid work and only 18 on housework and childcare.
Let’s unpack that (and in their defense note that the article was mostly about time spent doing household chores, where women still do more). The key point is that womens’ hours of work outside the home nearly tripled from nine. That means 27 at most. So women do at most 59 hours of work inside and outside the home. Add up the men’s total and you get 61.
Face palm.
† If you’re interested in how men and women in the U.S. actually spend their time, consult the American Time Use Survey. Men and women spend their time differently, but it’s pretty hard to argue that women more. I am not sure what source was used by Men’s Health.
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