Redefining Work in the Recession

This March, the number of women in our nation’s workforce surpassed the number of men for the first time in U.S. history. The rate at which women are becoming the primary breadwinners in their families is also rising. While the recession could have a transformative impact on gender roles, helping to debunk the traditional gender role myths, instead the recession is increasing the burden on many women. With growing numbers of women in the workforce, more women are performing “double-shifts” – putting in a full day at work and then coming home and performing the majority of the housework and childcare responsibilities. While non-traditional gender roles in the workplace and home have become more socially acceptable, the U.S. American Time Use Survey suggests that traditional gender roles still persist in most households, despite the increasing number of men who find themselves at home without a job. According to the survey, the amount of time unemployed males devote to children and household responsibilities is equal to the time spent by men who are employed. Work time is primarily replaced by watching TV, job search and sleeping, the survey found. In contrast, the number of hours spent on childcare by women who become unemployed is almost twice the amount of time employed women spend on these duties. The U.S. American Time Use Survey also found that employed men spend less time on childrearing and household responsibilities than employed women.

Many positive changes have and could continue to result from the collective efforts of women in the workplace fighting for pay equity, demanding sexual harassment be taken seriously and arguing for more flexible work schedules. A change in how our society structures work as well as the way our society views home responsibilities needs to continue to transform to reflect the importance of work/life balance and its availability to women and men of all socio-economic classes, as well as a more equitable division of home responsibilities and childrearing.