Men not picking up

Women are still doing most of the work within the home and family, according to the latest report from the Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) Survey.

In fact, it seems that Australian men are not doing any more housework than they were 20 years ago, while women are spending almost two hours more in paid or unpaid work than men throughout a typical week.

In 2022, men spent an average of 12.8 hours on housework, which is the same amount of time as they were spending in 2002.

Generally, though, we’re all working harder, with the analysis finding that both men and women are spending more time in paid work than they were 20 years ago. Women in 2022 averaged 28.5 hours a week in employment (compared to 22.2 hours in 2002) while men spent 37.9 hours (up from 37.7 in 2002).

On average, men are spending 30 minutes a week more caring for children or loved ones (5.5 hours a week in 2022, up from 5 hours in 2002), while women spend 10.7 hours a week caring in 2022, an increase on the 10.1 hours spent in 2002.

“We found that women take over a greater share of housework and care than their male partner in almost every employment scenario,” said report author Dr Inga Lass.

“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 in 2002.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the survey also revealed that men are overall more satisfied than women are with the current division of unpaid work around the house.

“Most women feel that they do more than their fair share at home, whereas men usually believe they share the housework and care fairly with their partner”, Lass observed.

Now in its 19th iteration, the annual HILDA report uses data collected over more than two decades, with the same 17,000 people interviewed year-on-year.

This longitudinal study allows the Department of Social Services, the Melbourne Institute and the University of Melbourne to assess how Australian life has changed across two decades, studying everything from economic wellbeing to our family and social lives, our financial decisions, health and levels of community engagement.

Are we accumulating wealth as we age? The longitudinal nature of the survey allows analysis of personal financial practices and has revealed three factors that could be associated with greater wealth accumulation – regular savings habits, a longer savings horizon, and greater preparedness to take financial risks.

Interestingly, being a smoker was found to reduce wealth accumulation over a four-year period by $90,400, yet the same effect was not observed for the regular consumption of alcohol.

Launched in 2001, the HILDA Survey now tracks more than 20,000 people (including children) in 9,000 households and collects information annually on a wide range of aspects of life in Australia, including household and family relationships, childcare, employment, education, income, expenditure, health and wellbeing, attitudes and values on a variety of subjects, and various life events and experiences.
It is funded by the Australian Government Department of Social Services and is managed by the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research at the University of Melbourne.