The bar chart compares the average number of hours spent on housework per day by women in three employment categories—unemployed, part-time employed, and full-time employed—as well as by full-time employed men, across the years 1985, 1995, and 2005.
Overall, the amount of time dedicated to household chores was inversely related to employment level. Unemployed women consistently performed the most housework, while full-time working men contributed the least throughout the observed period.
In 1985, unemployed women spent an average of 7 hours daily on domestic tasks. This figure declined slightly to 6.5 hours in 1995, before returning to 7 hours by 2005. Part-time employed women showed a gradual increase in time spent on housework, starting at 5 hours in 1985, rising to 5.5 hours in 1995, and reaching 6.5 hours by 2005.
By contrast, full-time employed women devoted significantly less time to household responsibilities, averaging around 3 hours per day consistently across all three years. Meanwhile, full-time employed men reported the lowest figures, with only 1 hour of housework per day in both 1985 and 1995, increasing modestly to approximately 1.5 hours in 2005.
These patterns highlight a clear division of domestic labor based on gender and employment status, suggesting that increased work commitments outside the home are closely associated with a reduction in time allocated to household duties.