Women do more housework than men when they become mums, Treasury figures reveal

NSW mothers shoulder five years of unpaid housework while their child’s father barely lifts a finger, Treasury figures show. Is your household experiencing the disparity? TAKE OUR POLL.

Men and women spend nearly an equal number of hours on housework – but that all changes when a child arrives.

Treasury analysis obtained by The Sunday Telegraph shows the arrival of a child turns everything on its head with women performing the bulk of unpaid work.

The analysis comes ahead of NSW Treasurer Matt Kean delivering his “family-focused” Budget, which will focus on the inequity women face in society and is expected to include a child care component.

The analysis showed men and women without children were nearly on par with the number of hours spent on household work.

After the arrival of a child, women almost double the number of hours they spend on housework while dads barely lift their game.

Men don’t pick up the slack of housework after a baby enters the picture, according to treasury analysis.

The figures show a woman spends around 30 hours a week on housework from the birth of her child until the age of seven, at which time the unpaid work dwindles only marginally over the following five years.

The escalation in housework coincides with women suddenly doing more than 45 hours a week of child care and fewer than 10 hours a week of paid work.

Overall, women do 64 hours of unpaid work a week when they have children aged 0-five years of age compared with men who do 40 hours a week.

When couples have children aged six to 18 years, women do 38 hours’ unpaid work a week compared with men who do 28 hours.

With no children, women still do more – 23 hours a week compared with 16 hours for men.

The figures show NSW mums pick up the lion’s share of housework, while men put their feet up.

Mr Kean said the Budget had been prepared with input from the Government’s Economic Opportunity Review panel, which is looking at ways to support women to enter, re-enter and stay in the workforce.

“Our Women’s Economic Opportunity Review panel, and my upcoming budget, are focused on the inequity women face if they start a family,” he said.

“Parents make the choice together, but all too often the woman makes the biggest effort and sacrifice.

“The data shows us that compared to her partner, a woman will likely have a smaller salary, less super, less paid work, do more of the caring and even do more housework.”

Mr Kean said his budget – which included return-to-work grants – were designed to help women participate fully in the economy while addressing unfairness built into our society.