Visualizing racial-ethnic differences in the gender division of housework among different-sex couples in the United States

Recent research shows important racial-ethnic differences in how individuals spent time in housework. Yet, our understanding of how the racial-ethnic makeup of partnerships shapes gender equality in the division of household labor remains limited. We use couple-level data from the 2017-2019 waves of the Panel Survey of Income Dynamics to visually illustrate how each partner’s race-ethnicity and their combination are associated with differences in the gender division of housework in U.S. Black, Hispanic, and white individuals. Results show significant heterogeneity in the share of housework and total housework hours between racial-ethnic groups, underscoring the need for a couple-level understanding of how the racial-ethnic makeup of partnerships may shape the division of household labor.