Unemployment and Gendered Divisions of Domestic Labor

Abstract

A certain level of gender inequality prevails in both families and societies, regardless of which countries are studied. This is, among other things, closely associated with the fact that women have the main responsibility for home and family. Here, I study whether unemployment is associated with alterations in the gendered division of domestic labor among Swedish men and women. Levels of domestic labor activity during periods of unemployment are explored, as well as the question of whether any associations persist after the individual re-enters employment. The data materials used are taken from the Swedish Longitudinal Study among the Unemployed 1992-1993, as well as the Swedish Level of Living Survey from 1991. The results indicate that although gender is the best predictor of levels of domestic labor activity, labor market status also affects levels of domestic labor activity. In other words, women are more active than men, but the unemployed are more active compared with the employed. The hypothesis that male unemployment is associated with a more equal division of domestic labor is thus supported. For women, the hypothesis that unemployment is related to an exacerbated unequal division of domestic labor receives support, although it is questionable whether unemployment has any permanent effects on activity in domestic labor, since the re-employed decrease their domestic labor activity.