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20/09/2023 | Indicator
Economic Autonomy

Total work time
Sum of time spent by the population aged 15 and over on paid and unpaid work. Paid work includes activities related to the production of goods or services that are part of the national accounts system for the regular calculation of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), encompassing activities within the labor market. Unpaid work (also referred to as Unpaid Domestic and Care Work – UDCW) refers to domestic and caregiving activities performed within one’s own household or for other households, for which no payment is received, and which are not included in the national accounts system for the regular calculation of GDP. Therefore, the contribution of UDCW is measured through the development of Satellite Accounts. By definition, the Total Work Time indicator is calculated based on the population participating in both types of work: paid and unpaid. The indicator is calculated by sex, and the result is expressed as an average of weekly hours.

Analysis

Total work time is essential for understanding gender gaps in well-being and time use. In all countries of the region with available data, the time spent on unpaid domestic and care work is significantly higher for women than for men. The increase in women’s participation in paid work has not been accompanied by an equivalent increase in men’s participation in unpaid domestic and care work. This imbalance limits women’s ability to participate in the labor market on equal terms, to access economic resources that provide greater degrees of autonomy, and to allocate time to educational and personal activities, such as leisure and self-care. This indicator is part of the regional framework for monitoring the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a complementary indicator (SDG C-5.4) and is included in the set of prioritized indicators for monitoring the SDGs in Latin America and the Caribbean.