Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs Women with no children but with a partner in the household also did about eight hours more housework each week than those without a partner or children.LoadingWomen’s share of housework and care was smallest if they were employed but their partner was not. But even then, women did 46 per cent of the housework and 55 per cent of the care work.“While women do significantly more paid work than they used to, this divide of unpaid work at home has not changed significantly since we started measuring,” Lass said.The 2022 HILDA survey, which informs social policies, found that each partner’s share of time spent on paid and unpaid work was comparatively equal before they had their first child. But post-birth, the woman’s share of housework jumps to 63 per cent – and it remains at 62 per cent when that child is 10 years old.Men and women were spending more time in paid work than in 2002. Women averaged 28.5 hours a week in employment, compared with 22.2 hours in 2002, and men 37.9 hours, up from 37.7.And men’s time spent on caring for their children and relatives had increased from five hours a week in 2002, to 5½ hours in 2022. Women’s time spent on caring rose to 10.7 hours a week in 2022, up from 10.1 hours in the same period.‘Men are overall more satisfied than women are with the current division of unpaid work around the house.’Dr Inga Lass, Melbourne Institute senior research fellowIn a typical working week, the total number of hours spent by women and men on employment, housework and care was similar – 57.5 hours a week for women and 56.2 for men.But Lass said questions added to the survey since 2005 about how satisfied each partner was about the levels of household tasks and childcare revealed men were far happier than their female partners.“Men are overall more satisfied than women are with the current division of unpaid work around the house,” she said.About a third of women (32.4 per cent) with dependent children said they did “much more than my fair share”, compared with 6.2 per cent of men. Just over half (55.6 per cent) of men said they did their fair share, compared with 33.5 per cent of women.Lass said enduring social pressures and assumptions about what makes a good mother were probably contributing to women’s higher burden in the home.While it was up to couples to decide who did what, reducing women’s access to the workforce and career progression could put women or the family’s financial security at risk later, she said.Credit: Matt Golding“We know a lot of couples separate, and because women have not been as engaged in the labor market, many of them will never get back to the career trajectory they had before,” Lass said.“In the long term that increases the risk of poverty.“Also, if both partners have a career, they are way more protected against his job loss. Therefore,an unequal division of labour puts the family at risk even if they stay together.”The 2022 HILDA study also found inequality was at a record high and more than half (51.2 per cent) of survey respondents reported that their real income had decreased between 2021 and 2022.The report showed single parents were often worst affected by economic factors and had experienced a 76 per cent increase in childcare costs per child since 2006 compared with a 48 per cent increase for couple parents.“Over the 2001-2022 period, single parents were not only the most likely family type to have poor mental health, but also took the longest to recover,” it found.Assumptions about what makes a good mother were probably contributing to women continuing to do more household work and caring than male partners.Credit: iStockSingle-parent families were significantly more likely to experience poverty, and a quarter of them lived in poverty, which is more than four times the rate for couple-parent families (6.2 per cent). They also had the lowest average wealth levels.“Single-parent families had higher rates of going without things that the majority of people believe no one should go without: a decent secure home and the ability to heat at least one room in the home,” said Professor Roger Wilkins, deputy director of the Melbourne Institute.“Single parents are very time-stressed and, unsurprisingly, they have high rates of poor mental health and poor physical health.” Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
