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Work Time Matters for Mental Health: A Gender Analysis of Paid and Unpaid Labor in the United States

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  • Chiara Piovani
  • Nursel Aydiner-Avsar

Abstract

Based on Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) survey data for 2013–14, this paper examines the association between work time (inclusive of both paid and unpaid work time) and the mental health outcomes of men and women in the United States, controlling for economic and social buffers, education, and demographic factors. In the United States, even though women constitute close to half of the paid labor force, they still perform the lion’s share of unpaid work. The findings indicate that total work time is positively related with emotional distress for women, while there is no statistically significant relationship for men. For women, the relationship between work time and mental health is primarily driven by unpaid work rather than paid work. Evaluating the relationship between mental health and both productive and reproductive work is critical to develop effective public policies toward gender equity and social well-being. JEL classification : I14, J16, J01

Suggested Citation

  • Chiara Piovani & Nursel Aydiner-Avsar, 2021. "Work Time Matters for Mental Health: A Gender Analysis of Paid and Unpaid Labor in the United States," Review of Radical Political Economics, Union for Radical Political Economics, vol. 53(4), pages 579-589, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:reorpe:v:53:y:2021:i:4:p:579-589
    DOI: 10.1177/04866134211035565
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Zheng, Hongyun & Vatsa, Puneet & Ma, Wanglin & Zhou, Xiaoshou, 2023. "Working hours and job satisfaction in China: A threshold analysis," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 77(C).
    2. Qinqin Jiang & Zhe Zhao & Yijun Liu & Zhenbang Wei & Yan Bing & Feng Zhang & Jiahao Liu & Lei Gao & Jinhai Sun & Lei Yuan, 2024. "Decomposition analysis of the difference in depressive symptoms between urban and rural employed people in China: Unpaid work plays an important role," International Journal of Social Psychiatry, , vol. 70(2), pages 340-354, March.
    3. Zhuofei Lu & Shuo Yan & Jeff Jones & Yucheng He & Qigen She, 2023. "From Housewives to Employees, the Mental Benefits of Employment across Women with Different Gender Role Attitudes and Parenthood Status," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(5), pages 1-13, February.
    4. Senhu Wang & Zhuofei Lu, 2023. "Is Paid Inflexible Work Better than Unpaid Housework for Women’s Mental Health? The Moderating Role of Parenthood," Applied Research in Quality of Life, Springer;International Society for Quality-of-Life Studies, vol. 18(1), pages 393-409, February.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    gender; mental health; work;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I14 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Health and Inequality
    • J16 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Economics of Gender; Non-labor Discrimination
    • J01 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - Labor Economics: General

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