Flexible Work and Housework: Work and Family Constraints on Women's Domestic Labor

We examine whether jobs with greater flexibility allow women greater time for housework. With data from the National Longitudinal Surveys (NLS) for young women and mature women employees, we find that part-week, part-year, and shift schedules increase the hours spent on domestic chores, and that unlike on-site employment, hours of home-based work do not significantly reduce time spent on domestic chores. We also find that younger women are more likely to adjust domestic time to job-related conditions than older women.