A Simultaneous Equation Model for the Division of Household Labor

Abstract

In this paper a three-equation, nonrecursive model for the household division of labor is proposed based on recent work in the New Home Economics. The model is estimated with data from a sample of 184 households. In contrast to the earlier studies of household work, direct measures are provided for the household efforts of husbands and children and substitution effects are isolated from income effects. While wives (as expected) are found to do the majority of household tasks almost regardless of circumstances, the household division of labor does respond in many ways which are consistent with the Household Production Function. However, important anomalies also surface which call into question many of the model's underlying assumptions.