BBC Women spend about 18.5 hours a week on chores By Sarah Toyne, BBC News Online personal finance reporter

More women may be working and have less time for housework, but they are still doing the lion's share of household chores, according to a new study.

Research from Oxford University reveals that working has only a minimal impact on the amount time a woman devotes to work around the house.

Women in full-time employment spend nearly 12 hours on housework and share about 65% of household chores at home.

Men, however, spend between 5 and 7 hours a week dusting and cleaning.

Simply working full-time will lead to only a minor redistribution of housework - 1.8 minutes less for each extra hour spent at paid work for men, and 5.2 minutes less for women.

Income vs workload

Bigger reductions, however, arise when the female partner has a high income.

Every £10,000 increase in the woman's annual salary reduces her weekly housework time by 1.8 hours.

But the man's income does not have any effect on how much contribution he makes to housework or affect his partner's significantly.

Man-yee Kan, who undertook the research, spoke to BBC News Online about the findings.

She said: "These results match those of previous years. Women are still doing the lion's share or three quarters of housework at home - even though they are working. They have two burdens."

Having a degree can help, though.

According to Kan, having higher educational qualifications can lead to more "egalitarian households".

Better off?

This is because men who have a first degree do more housework - if their partner is educated to the same standard.

Whether you are married or are "living together" could have an impact on the amount of time you spend on housework.

Women who co-habit spend 13.2 hours a week on chores compared to 19.2 hours for married women.

However, men who co-habit spend more time on housework than men who have tied the knot.

They spend 6.1 hours on housework a week compared to only 5.5 hours if they had walked up the aisle.

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2001

Answers

they are still doing the lion's share of household chores, according to a new study.

I thought the lion tended to sit around while the lionesses got the food. The lion being the guardian of the harem, and all that...

I'm all for an end to housework. In fact, I ended it some time ago.

So far, no one has noticed...

-- Anonymous, July 06, 2001