Desigualdades de género en el trabajo. La brecha de género en el empleo y la distribución de las tareas de cuidado

This paper focuses on the factors contributing to gender inequality in the distribution of paid work and unpaid work in homes. The European Union Household Panel for Spain is used to empirically test the relative impact of such factors and their contribution to gender inequality. Three indicators are considered: intra-household inequality in employment status, the gender gap in paid employment and the ratio between unpaid care activities and time spent in paid employment. Personal characteristics of the female partner such as age and education have a significant impact on these three indicators. Household characteristics such as the difference in income and in time devoted to caring activities between the male and the female partner also have a significant effect on the employment status gap and the working hours gap. Finally, subjective perceptions of satisfaction with the economic situation and self-classification into employment and non-employment categories are also relevant factors in gender inequality. The workload reveals the asymmetric position of women and men within households in Spain, particularly in relation to the care of dependent family members.