The Gender Division of Labor in Two-Earner Marriages

Recent data on the division of domestic labor is examined, suggesting that the inevitability of a “second shift” for wives in dual-earner couples may be overstated. The allocation of paid work more to husbands and housework more to wives creates a combined work week that is, on average, balanced but gender specialized. However, there is also important variation among couples. Some employed wives do face a “double day,” but others are in more equitable arrangements. The implicitly and explicitly gendered expectations that both husbands and wives bring to thinking about housework play a significant role in shaping the degree of egalitarianism in practice.