University of FloridaSolutions for Your Life

Download PDF
Publication #FAR5053

 

Working Couples Adjust Job Hours1

Suzanna Smith2

Figure 1. 
[Click thumbnail to enlarge.]

When I went back to work in the weeks or months after my babies were born, I could see the disapproving looks on the faces of some of my family and friends. Since my husband was working too, some of my peers assumed that we would simply not be able to give my babies the time and attention they needed.

This concern about whether working parents are shortchanging their children is widespread. Recent research shows that working couples do adjust their job schedules somewhat, cutting back on their total, combined work hours "when they have children at home" (Gerson & Jacobs, 2006, p. 355). Using U.S. Census data, sociologists Kathleen Gerson and Jerry Jacobs compared total work time of couples with and without children. In 2000, dual-earner couples with children worked about three hours less per week than two-income families without children. And the more children a couple has, the fewer total hours they work (Gerson & Jacobs, 2006).

It's not surprising, but generally it's mothers, not fathers, who cut back their work hours. In 2000, working mothers were on the job four hours less per week than married women without children. "Fathers actually work more hours when they have children at home" (Gerson & Jacobs, 2006, p. 355).

While work hours alone don't predict the quality of family life and child well-being, these researchers suggest that children are not necessarily neglected when parents work. Employed parents seem to adjust their work hours to make time for their family life.

Listening, learning, and living together: it's the science of life. "Family Album" is a co-production of University of Florida IFAS Extension, the Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, and of WUFT-FM. If you'd like to learn more, please visit our website at http://www.familyalbumradio.org.

To listen to the radio broadcast:

http://www.radiosource.net/radio_stories/444.mp3

http://www.radiosource.net/radio_stories/444.wav

Reference

Gerson, K. & Jacobs, J. (2006). The work-home crunch. In A. Skolnick & J. Skolnick (Eds.), Family in transition (14th ed.), (pp. 350-359). Boston: Pearson.3

Footnotes

1.

This document is FAR5053, one of a series of the Family Youth and Community Sciences Department, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. Broadcast as program 444. Published March 2009. Revised March 2012. In the interest of time and/or clarity, the broadcast version of this script may have been modified. Visit the EDIS website at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu.

2.

Suzanna Smith, associate professor, Department of Family, Youth and Community Sciences, Florida Cooperative Extension Service; Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida; Gainesville 32611.

3.

The original article appeared as: Gerson, K. & Jacobs, J. (2004). The work-home crunch. Contexts, 3(4), 29-37.

The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS) is an Equal Opportunity Institution authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function with non-discrimination with respect to race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, political opinions or affiliations. For more information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension service.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cooperative Extension Service, University of Florida, IFAS, Florida A. & M. University Cooperative Extension Program, and Boards of County Commissioners Cooperating. Nick T. Place, Dean.