Women Working Longer Hours, Sleeping Less, as They Juggle Commitments

The U.S. Department of Labor's annual American Time Use Survey determined working women put in longer hours on the job, spent more time caring for their children, and did more housework last year compared to a year earlier, reports the Wall Street Journal . Women also committed less social time, and slept less. Women are still the primary caregivers and organizers of their households, despite growing workplace responsibilities. Working women worked about seven hours and 20 minutes during the average workday in 2018, while men spent slightly less than eight hours a day working. Employed women who care for a child spent an average two hours daily doing that last year, about 15 minutes more compared to 2017. Working men with children spent less than 90 minutes on child care on an average day, a decrease from 2017. Meanwhile, working women spent about three and three-quarter hours daily relaxing or exercising, which is less than in previous years. Mothers, whether working or not, devoted less time to leisure activities, with about three hours and 30 minutes a day on average. Working women's hours of sleep dropped last year to slightly more than eight and a half hours a night, while working men's average sleep time, though longer than in previous years, still is lower than women's.