The Fact
Pew Research Center found that more than 80% of mothers’ combined paid-and-unpaid work time in 1965 was spent in housework and childcare. By 2011, that share was about 60%.
What This Means
Mothers’ total workload changed much less than the composition of that workload. Over time, a much larger share of the same overall work burden moved into paid employment while substantial household and childcare work remained.
Sources
- Pew Research Center, Modern Parenthood: Americans’ Time at Paid Work, Housework and Child Care, 1965–2011.