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Original poster

Men and women's working hours are nearly equal.

33 replies

FloralBunting · 28/07/2020 09:40

www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-53558250

I'm not fabulous at statisical stuff, but I looked at the bar graph in this report and it still looked like women do more unpaid work than men, who do less childcare and also spend more time watching telly and on other leisure activities.

And yet the title is that 'men and women's working hours are nearly equal'.

I think that the article is trying to references that the gap has got smaller, but even so. I think the title is rather misleading given the graph. Am I misunderstanding something that is actually very good here?

OP posts:
ErrolTheDragon · 28/07/2020 10:40

The bbc seems to have those figures the other way round so one or other must be wrong.

ErrolTheDragon · 28/07/2020 10:35

The Times seems to be including childcare eg

The research suggests that women spend 51 hours a week at work or on household chores and childcare while men spend 50 hours a week.

Kantastic · 28/07/2020 10:28

Thank you! That's what I thought I was reading, but the Beeb are presenting it as jolly good news for equality, what!

The way they have measured it, women work less hours so women increasing their working hours means "equality." Sexism in time use studies is a major issue though - not counting childcare as work is the most blatant version of such sexism.

ErrolTheDragon · 28/07/2020 10:23

Here's the Time's version, with a somewhat biased headline

www.thetimes.co.uk/article/why-men-are-doing-more-housework-than-ever-hs56pfs5v?shareToken=68d48032e8b79b2a0b5173b81f295309

RedToothBrush · 28/07/2020 10:21

The whole report is framed in an utterly sexist way and the bbc are reporting it in a parrot fashion without asking any questions about it.

This is what institutionalised sexism looks like.

But women should feel better about being more equal in the workplace... Ffs

Original poster
FloralBunting · 28/07/2020 10:07

Thank you! That's what I thought I was reading, but the Beeb are presenting it as jolly good news for equality, what!

OP posts:
PleaseChooseAnother · 28/07/2020 10:05

This is the bit that stood out to me...

  • Since the 1970s, women have increased their paid working hours by more than five hours to 22 per week, and have cut unpaid hours, which include childcare duties and household chores, by almost three.

Meanwhile, men have cut their paid hours by more than eight to 34 per week. The number of unpaid hours worked has increased by more than five a week.*

So for women, 5 more paid, three less unpaid = 3 more working hours a week

For men, 8 less paid, 5 more unpaid = 3 less working hours a week.

So despite it seeming positive, it just means that women are increasing their total workload while men reduce theirs

Kantastic · 28/07/2020 10:04

I think it's not counting childcare as work! Is that actually possible in 2020? I thought scientists copped on that childcare is work in the fucking 1960s. Someone tell me I've got this wrong!

Also these time use studies don't actually give a useful accounting of leisure time - women tend to have "leisure time" in 20 minute dribs and drabs, enough time to make a cup of tea and not drink it, when men get to take whole days and evenings to pursue their hobbies.