Child care, elder care, housework and other tasks are critical to the foundation of strong families, communities and nations.

Such work is often referred to as unpaid work or the “work that makes all other work possible.” Women worldwide spend significantly more time on these important tasks than men. This happens for reasons including personal values ​​and choices, cultural and social norms, unconscious biases, and economic and work-related considerations.

According to Oxfam, a global organization fighting inequality, the monetary value of women's unpaid work is estimated at $10.8 trillion a year.

“This is a significant amount of work and expense that needs to be recognized, understood and appreciated,” said Susan Madsen, founding director of the Utah Women & Leadership Project at Utah State University and one of the report’s three authors.

The UWLP recently released a research report examining unpaid care work in Utah with the goal of recognizing its value and promoting a more balanced distribution between men and women. The report is an update of a 2017 UWLP report.

The latest report says that women generally spend two to ten times more time on unpaid care work than men, depending on region and other factors. Women in the U.S. who do unpaid work spend an average of 4.92 hours per day on unpaid work, compared to 3.79 hours per day for men. However, in Utah, women spend 5.55 hours per day on unpaid work, compared to 3.22 hours for Utah men.

Child care is one of the most common forms of unpaid work. This is significant because Utah has one of the highest birth rates, the largest family size, and the highest percentage of women working part-time in the country.

For some women, the decision to raise their children full-time is fulfilling and empowering; for other mothers, the combination of raising children and working is ideal, but finding affordable and good childcare is a challenge.

“Research shows that mother and family well-being increases when mothers can achieve their preferred work situations,” said Madsen. “This is significant because the mother's psychological well-being has a direct impact on the family.”

Another type of unpaid care work involves elderly relatives. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are 37.1 million geriatric caregivers in the United States, 58.9% of whom are women. In addition, 14.4% of female geriatric caregivers have been providing care for 10 years or more. A recent survey of Utah residents' experiences reports that 61.4% of caregivers are female, nearly half (including men) work full time, and 23% report spending more than 20 hours per week providing care, 97% of which is unpaid.

Another source of unpaid labor is housekeeping. Data suggests that the difference in the amount of time men and women in Utah spend on housework has narrowed in recent years. According to the 2017 UWLP study, women in Utah spend 1.62 hours per day on housework and men spend 1.17 hours. This compares to 1.88 and 0.94 hours respectively.

Relationships, households and families typically require emotional and mental labour, which is another form of unpaid work. Mental health professionals stress that emotional labour is indeed work and can take its toll. Women who do a large amount of unpaid work are vulnerable to a deterioration in their physical, emotional and mental wellbeing.

“Even though men participate in daily household chores, women often still do the mental work – perceiving, planning, managing, scheduling, organizing and ensuring needs are met,” Madsen said. “As a result, women may not devote enough energy to their own economic and personal well-being because of their many responsibilities. Men spend more time on paid work each day than women, but when you add in unpaid work, women work more hours per day than men – they just don't get paid for it.”

According to a Salary.com survey of mothers' “job roles,” the median annual salary for a stay-at-home mom in the U.S. would be approximately $184,820.42 in 2021. While this estimate is symbolic, it does show that outsourcing women's unpaid labor would be costly.

The report makes recommendations for Utahns to redistribute the burden of unpaid work, including building social support networks, problem-solving strategies and communications for women and girls; encouraging businesses to promote work-life balance and find innovative solutions for families who must commute between paid and unpaid work; improving access to affordable, flexible and universal child care; raising awareness of gender roles and stereotypes; and promoting a more balanced division of labor within households.

“Efforts to promote a more balanced distribution of unpaid work between men and women include legislative and corporate initiatives, public debates, and individual decisions by family members themselves,” Madsen said. “It is worth working in these areas to strengthen Utah families.”

Other authors of the report include Kristy Hodsen, UWLP research fellow, and Madison Harmer, UWLP research assistant. To view the full report, click here. For more information about the UWLP, contact [email protected].