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Gender norms, fairness and relative working hours within households

Author

Listed:
  • Sarah N Flèche

    (AMSE - Aix-Marseille Sciences Economiques - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - AMU - Aix Marseille Université - ECM - École Centrale de Marseille - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CEP - LSE - Centre for Economic Performance - LSE - London School of Economics and Political Science)

  • Anthony Lepinteur

    (uni.lu - Université du Luxembourg = University of Luxembourg = Universität Luxemburg)

  • Nattavudh Powdthavee

    (WBS - Warwick Business School - University of Warwick [Coventry], IZA - Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit - Institute of Labor Economics)

Abstract

Using data in the United States, UK and Germany, we show that women whose working hours exceed those of their male partners report lower life satisfaction on average. By contrast, men do not report lower life satisfaction from working more hours than their female partners. An analysis of possible mechanisms shows that in couples where the woman works more hours than the man, women do not spend significantly less time doing household chores. Women with egalitarian ideologies are likely to perceive this unequal division of labour as unfair, ultimately reducing their life satisfaction.

Suggested Citation

  • Sarah N Flèche & Anthony Lepinteur & Nattavudh Powdthavee, 2020. "Gender norms, fairness and relative working hours within households," Post-Print hal-03139138, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-03139138
    DOI: 10.1016/j.labeco.2020.101866
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://amu.hal.science/hal-03139138v1
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    Cited by:

    1. Rémi Yin & Anthony Lepinteur & Andrew E Clark & Conchita d'Ambrosio, 2021. "Life Satisfaction and the Human Development Index Across the World," Working Papers halshs-03174513, HAL.
    2. Andrew E. Clark & Anthony Lepinteur, 2022. "Pandemic Policy and Life Satisfaction in Europe," Review of Income and Wealth, International Association for Research in Income and Wealth, vol. 68(2), pages 393-408, June.
    3. Marie Blaise & Sandrine Juin & Hélène Le Forner & Quitterie Roquebert, 2024. "I care, you clean? Gendered effects of informal care on couple housework and leisure time," LISER Working Paper Series 2024-05, Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER).
    4. Estefanía Galván & Cecilia García‐Peñalosa, 2025. "Interactions among gender norms: Evidence from US couples," Scottish Journal of Political Economy, Scottish Economic Society, vol. 72(1), February.
    5. Marta Pasqualini & Marta Dominguez Folgueras & Emanuele Ferragina & Olivier Godechot & Ettore Recchi & Mirna Safi, 2022. "Who took care of what? The gender division of unpaid work during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in France," Demographic Research, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, Rostock, Germany, vol. 46(34), pages 1007-1036.
    6. Hermle, Johannes & Herold, Elena & Hildebrand, Nikolaus, 2024. "Preferences over Relative Income within the Household," IZA Discussion Papers 16803, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    7. Belloc, Ignacio & Gimenez-Nadal, José Ignacio & Molina, José Alberto, 2025. "Extreme temperatures: Gender differences in well-being," Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics (formerly The Journal of Socio-Economics), Elsevier, vol. 117(C).
    8. Estefanía Galván, 2022. "Gender Identity and Quality of Employment," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 89(354), pages 409-436, April.
    9. Anna Gudrun Ragnarsdottir & Paul McNamee & Edward C. Norton & Thorhildur Olafsdottir & Tinna Laufey Asgeirsdottir, 2024. "The Division of Labour Within the Household and Life Satisfaction," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 25(6), pages 1-22, August.
    10. Céline Piton, 2022. "The labour market performance of vulnerable groups: towards a better understanding of the main driving forces," ULB Institutional Repository 2013/352519, ULB -- Universite Libre de Bruxelles.
    11. Delecourt, Solène, 2025. "The effect of relieving time constraints on the business performance of women-owned businesses: A field experiment," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 54(7).
    12. Elsner, Benjamin & Jindal, Manvi & Mascherini, Massimiliano & Nivakoski, Sanna, 2024. "Gender Gaps in Time Use: Pan-European Evidence from School Closures during the COVID-19 Pandemic," IZA Discussion Papers 17151, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    13. Michèle Tertilt & Matthias Doepke & Anne Hannusch & Laura Montenbruck, 2022. "The Economics of Women’s Rights," Journal of the European Economic Association, European Economic Association, vol. 20(6), pages 2271-2316.
    14. Menta, Giorgia & Lepinteur, Anthony, 2021. "Boys don’t cry (or do the dishes): Family size and the housework gender gap," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 186(C), pages 164-188.
    15. Lara Delsalle & Oleksii Birulin, 2024. "Family-oriented versus career seekers: mixture regression separation," Empirical Economics, Springer, vol. 67(1), pages 313-335, July.
    16. Boinet, Césarine & Norris, Jonathan & Romiti, Agnese & Shi, Zhan & Telemo, Paul, 2024. "Beliefs on Children's Human Capital Formation and Mothers at Work," IZA Discussion Papers 17574, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    17. Marie Blaise & Laetitia Dillenseger, 2023. "Informal Caregivers and Life Satisfaction: Empirical Evidence from the Netherlands," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(6), pages 1883-1930, August.
    18. Thi Thao Nguyen & Kim Huong Nguyen & Nicholas Rohde, 2024. "Economic Disparities, Life Events, and the Gender Mental Health Gap," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 174(3), pages 1053-1100, September.
    19. Iga Magda & Ewa Cukrowska-Torzewska & Marta Palczyńska, 2024. "What if She Earns More? Gender Norms, Income Inequality, and the Division of Housework," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 45(1), pages 1-20, March.
    20. Claudia Senik & Andrew E. Clark & Conchita D’Ambrosio & Anthony Lepinteur & Carsten Schröder, 2024. "Teleworking and life satisfaction during COVID-19: the importance of family structure," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 37(1), pages 1-24, March.
    21. Christina Boll & Simone Schüller, 2023. "The Economic Well-Being of Nonresident Fathers and Custodial Mothers Revisited: The Role of Paternal Childcare," Journal of Family and Economic Issues, Springer, vol. 44(4), pages 836-853, December.
    22. Chenghua Guan & Ling Zuo, 2021. "Sustainability of Regional Factors on the Gendered Division of Housework in China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-16, September.
    23. Ospina-Cartagena, Vanessa & García-Suaza, Andrés, 2020. "Unpaid work and gender gap patterns in Colombia," GLO Discussion Paper Series 686, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    24. Michael Silva-Peñaherrera & Amaya Ayala-Garcia & Erika Alferez Mayer & Iselle Sabastizagal-Vela & Fernando G. Benavides, 2022. "Informal Employment, Working Conditions, and Self-Perceived Health in 3098 Peruvian Urban Workers," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-9, May.

    More about this item

    Keywords

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    JEL classification:

    • I31 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Welfare, Well-Being, and Poverty - - - General Welfare, Well-Being
    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply

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