Time use among urban women in China at different income levels

Abstract

This paper analyzes data from the 2017 Chinese Time Use Survey to explore changes in women’s time allocation among households. The findings reveal a stratification phenomenon in the time allocation of Chinese women, with women in households of varying income levels exhibiting different labor division characteristics. In low-income households, women spend on average 1.296 h less per day on paid work compared to men, but 2.439 h more on unpaid work, and 1.116 h less on leisure, indicating a tendency towards a traditional division of labor. In middle-income households, the gender gap in paid work time has significantly narrowed, yet women still spend on average 1.824 h more per day on unpaid work and 0.888 h less on leisure, bearing a more severe double burden of work and family responsibilities. In high-income households, the time allocation between genders is largely equal. As household income rises, the comparative advantage of spouses in household labor division becomes less influential. In middle-income families, women with greater bargaining power than their spouses spend more time on paid work. Gender equality awareness effectively promotes more equal time use between husbands and wives.