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Share of Household Earnings and Time Use of Women in Same-Sex and Different-Sex Households

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Abstract

We investigate the impact of the share of household earnings on time use in household labor among women in same-sex households and different-sex households in the USA. Contrary to the U-shape pattern found among heterosexual women, we find an inverse U-shape relationship between time spent in household labor and earnings share for lesbians. This result holds when we divide the sample into households with and without children. These findings are most consistent with preferences for relational equality.

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Acknowledgements

We would like to thank Sean Flaherty, Lee Badgett, Nick Reksten, the economics department at the University of Redlands, as well as participants of the Bard College and Levy Economics Institute seminar for useful comments and suggestions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Bard College, PO Box 5000, Annandale-on-Hudson, NY, 12504, USA

    Michael E. Martell

  2. Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA, USA

    Leanne Roncolato

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  1. Michael E. Martell
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Correspondence to Michael E. Martell.

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Appendix

Appendix

See Tables 4 and 5.

Table 4 Earnings share and time use: comparing lesbian to cohabiting heterosexual women
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Table 5 Earnings share and time use: weighted
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Martell, M.E., Roncolato, L. Share of Household Earnings and Time Use of Women in Same-Sex and Different-Sex Households. Eastern Econ J 46, 414–437 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41302-019-00145-4

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