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Domestic Outsourcing, Housework Shares and Subjective Time Pressure: Gender Differences in the Correlates of Hiring Help

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  • Lyn Craig
  • Janeen Baxter

Abstract

We use data from matched dual earner couples from the Australian Time Use Survey 2006 (n = 926 couples) to investigate predictors of different forms of domestic outsourcing, and whether using each type of paid help is associated with reduced time in male or female-typed tasks, narrower gender gaps in housework time and/or lower subjective time pressure. Results suggest domestic outsourcing does not substitute for much household time, reduces domestic time for men at least as much as for women, and does not ameliorate gender gaps in domestic labor. The only form of paid help associated with significant change in gender shares of domestic work was gardening and maintenance services, which were associated with women doing a greater share of the household total domestic work. We found no evidence that domestic outsourcing reduced feelings of time pressure. We conclude that domestic outsourcing is not effective in ameliorating time pressures or in changing gender dynamics of unpaid work. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2016

Suggested Citation

  • Lyn Craig & Janeen Baxter, 2016. "Domestic Outsourcing, Housework Shares and Subjective Time Pressure: Gender Differences in the Correlates of Hiring Help," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 125(1), pages 271-288, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:spr:soinre:v:125:y:2016:i:1:p:271-288
    DOI: 10.1007/s11205-014-0833-1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    2. Grund, Christian & Tilkes, Katja Rebecca, 2021. "Working Time Mismatch and Job Satisfaction - The Role of Employees' Time Autonomy and Gender," IZA Discussion Papers 14732, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Hertog, Ekaterina & Kan, Man Yee & Shirakawa, Kiyomi & Chiba, Ryota, 2018. "Do Better-Educated Couples Share Domestic Work More Equitably in Japan? It Depends on the Day of the Week," Discussion Paper Series 673, Institute of Economic Research, Hitotsubashi University.
    4. Adam Ka-Lok Cheung & Erin Hye-Won Kim, 2022. "Domestic Outsourcing in an Ultra-Low Fertility Context: Employing Live-in Domestic Help and Fertility in Hong Kong," Population Research and Policy Review, Springer;Southern Demographic Association (SDA), vol. 41(4), pages 1597-1618, August.
    5. Laurie F. DeRose & Frances Goldscheider & Javiera Reyes Brito & Andrés Salazar-Arango & Paúl Corcuera & Paúl J. Corcuera & Montserrat Gas-Aixendri, 2019. "Are Children Barriers to the Gender Revolution? International Comparisons," European Journal of Population, Springer;European Association for Population Studies, vol. 35(5), pages 987-1021, December.

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