Men Help Out (a little)

Do men with working wives help out at home? Yes, according to a new study by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The study examined the time use of married men and women with children under age 18 to determine how much men do around the house. The study compared the time use of men, all with full-time jobs, in three types of families: wife works full-time, wife works part-time, and wife not employed. Men with wives who work full-time do more around the house than other men, but only a little more--and far less than their wives. Take a look...

• During an average weekday, 19 percent of men with wives who work full-time participated in housework (as did 45 percent of their wives) compared with 12 percent of men whose wives were not employed. 
• During an average weekday, 59 percent of men with wives who work full-time took care of children (as did 81 percent of their wives) compared with 51 percent of men whose wives were not employed. 

To be fair, men with wives who work full-time have a longer workday than their wives--8.86 hours for the husbands versus 7.83 hours for the wives. Also, regardless of a wife's labor force status, husbands are more likely than wives to do home repairs.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, How Parents Use Time and Money