Housework

Housework maintains the daily lives of individuals living within private households; that is, the vast majority of humanity. It is easily the most important but least valued work. Without it, societies would collapse, and individuals would not survive. Its economic value equals or surpasses that of the entire market economy. However, much of it is invisible; ironically, including to the persons who do the work.

Most housework is conducted by women without pay. Unpaid work is often not perceived as “real” work, regardless of the fact that most housework is also available for purchase on the market. Many households do employ some people to do part of their housework, such as cleaning, laundry, snow shoveling, window washing, preparing food, or buying clothes. While all housework is real work (i.e., the exertion of effort toward some end), some of it is enjoyable, and therefore may not be perceived as work; conversely, in many paid jobs, even work that is experienced as enjoyable is still perceived as work. Because housework is mostly (but not exclusively) performed on behalf of family members and the individual, it is interpreted as an expression of love, rather than as work.

In 2007, American women spent about 50 percent more time than men on housework daily (0.97 versus 0.29 hours), contrasting with six times as much in 1965 and three times as much in 1975. In 2006, Canadian women spent 72 percent more time on household chores than men (4.3 hours versus 2.5 hours), and the percentage of Canadian men doing housework increased slightly from 1996, while remaining the same for women. Comparing 10 European countries, employed women spent an average of 3 hours 11 minutes (Denmark) to 4:24 (Slovenia) daily on housework, while employed men spent an average 1:52 (Denmark) to 2:24 (Slovenia).