The Work Week Was Built for Households With a Wife at Home

𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲-𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝘆.

As female participation in the labour market has evolved, the 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗵𝗮𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝘁.

As a result, families are under more strain than ever.

We’ve moved from 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝟮𝟱% 𝗼𝗳 𝘄𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 to 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝟴𝟬% in the period captured in this graph.

Labour productivity has increased by 𝟮𝟵𝟵% 𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝟭𝟵𝟱𝟬, yet we’re working roughly the 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳  𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀 as back then.

In 1956, Richard Nixon believed we were on the cusp of a 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗿-𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸, an end to “mind-wearying tension.”

Instead, we’re seeing an epidemic: up to 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗼𝘂𝘁, driven by 𝘂𝗻𝘀𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱𝘀, 𝘂𝗻𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀, and 𝗻𝗼𝗻-𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀.

If the productivity gains we are promised through AI are realised, we intuitively agree that some of those efficiencies should be 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗰𝗲 - 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸.

𝗜𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻 if we don’t: 

• Talk about it as a community.

• Plan for it as an economy.

• Fight for it as a society.