Across the globe, men spend more time than do women working outside the home for money, while women do most of the unpaid domestic work. Although this unpaid work is essential, it is valued less than paid work and it constrains women from doing more highly valued work. This inequality starts early in the U.S., as evidenced by Frank Stafford’s 2006 work, cited here, showing that American boys ages 10 to 17 spend about 2 fewer hours per week on household chores than girls, and are 15% more likely to be paid for doing chores.

More about Stafford’s work on gendered distribution of household chores and allowance among children cited in NYT op ed >