(Trends Wide) — Few women will be surprised to learn that even when wives earn about the same as their husbands, a new Pew Research Center study reveals that they continue to spend more time on housework and childcare, while their husbands spend more time in paid work and leisure.
“Although financial contributions have evened out across marriages, the way couples divide their time between paid work and home life remains unbalanced,” Pew notes.
Who wins what?
Pew found that in 29% of today’s heterosexual marriages, women and men earn more or less the same (about $60,000 each). “Husbands in same-sex marriages spend about 3.5 hours more per week on leisure activities than wives. Wives in these marriages spend about 2 hours more per week caring for other people than husbands, and about 2.5 hours more to housework,” the study says.
In 55% of different-sex marriages, the man is the main or only breadwinner for the family, with an average income of US$96,000 compared to US$30,000 for women.
Meanwhile, in 16% of marriages wives earn more than their husbands as the main (10%) or sole breadwinner (6%). In these marriages, women earn an average of US$88,000, compared to US$35,000 for their husbands.
Of all these categories, the only one in which men spend more time caring than their wives is when the woman is the sole breadwinner. And the weekly time devoted to housework in such marriages is divided equally between husband and wife.
In all cases, this is a big change from 50 years ago, when, for example, husbands were the main breadwinners in 85% of marriages.
Women are more likely to be the top earners
Today, the women most likely to be the main or sole breadwinner in a family can vary based on age, family status, education, and race.
For example, Pew found that black women are “significantly more likely” than other women to earn more than their husbands. For example, 26% of black women earn more than their husbands, while only 17% of white women and 13% of Hispanic women do.
But black women with a college degree or higher and few children at home are also among those most likely to earn about the same as their husbands.
These figures are given in a context of social attitudes about who should earn more and how care should be divided between spouses.
Nearly half of Americans (48%) surveyed by Pew said husbands would rather earn more than their wives, while 13% said men would prefer their wives earn about as much as they do.
What do women want? Twenty-two percent of Americans said most women want a husband who earns more, while 26% said most would want a man who earns about the same.
Meanwhile, when it comes to having a family, 77% said children do better when both parents are equally focused on their work and childcare. Only 19% said that children do better when the mother focuses more on home life and the father more on her work.
The Pew study is based on three data sources: income data from the US Census Survey of Current Population; data from the US Time Use Survey and a nationally representative survey of public attitudes among 5,152 US adults conducted in January.
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(Trends Wide) — Few women will be surprised to learn that even when wives earn about the same as their husbands, a new Pew Research Center study reveals that they continue to spend more time on housework and childcare, while their husbands spend more time in paid work and leisure.
“Although financial contributions have evened out across marriages, the way couples divide their time between paid work and home life remains unbalanced,” Pew notes.
Who wins what?
Pew found that in 29% of today’s heterosexual marriages, women and men earn more or less the same (about $60,000 each). “Husbands in same-sex marriages spend about 3.5 hours more per week on leisure activities than wives. Wives in these marriages spend about 2 hours more per week caring for other people than husbands, and about 2.5 hours more to housework,” the study says.
In 55% of different-sex marriages, the man is the main or only breadwinner for the family, with an average income of US$96,000 compared to US$30,000 for women.
Meanwhile, in 16% of marriages wives earn more than their husbands as the main (10%) or sole breadwinner (6%). In these marriages, women earn an average of US$88,000, compared to US$35,000 for their husbands.
Of all these categories, the only one in which men spend more time caring than their wives is when the woman is the sole breadwinner. And the weekly time devoted to housework in such marriages is divided equally between husband and wife.
In all cases, this is a big change from 50 years ago, when, for example, husbands were the main breadwinners in 85% of marriages.
Women are more likely to be the top earners
Today, the women most likely to be the main or sole breadwinner in a family can vary based on age, family status, education, and race.
For example, Pew found that black women are “significantly more likely” than other women to earn more than their husbands. For example, 26% of black women earn more than their husbands, while only 17% of white women and 13% of Hispanic women do.
But black women with a college degree or higher and few children at home are also among those most likely to earn about the same as their husbands.
These figures are given in a context of social attitudes about who should earn more and how care should be divided between spouses.
Nearly half of Americans (48%) surveyed by Pew said husbands would rather earn more than their wives, while 13% said men would prefer their wives earn about as much as they do.
What do women want? Twenty-two percent of Americans said most women want a husband who earns more, while 26% said most would want a man who earns about the same.
Meanwhile, when it comes to having a family, 77% said children do better when both parents are equally focused on their work and childcare. Only 19% said that children do better when the mother focuses more on home life and the father more on her work.
The Pew study is based on three data sources: income data from the US Census Survey of Current Population; data from the US Time Use Survey and a nationally representative survey of public attitudes among 5,152 US adults conducted in January.
