EMPLOYMENT SCHEDULES AMONG DUAL-EARNER SPOUSES AND THE DIVISION OF HOUSEHOLD LABOR BY GENDER

I extend the research on how employment schedules affect family life a nd,which factors determine a husband's share in household labor. I pre sent a new specification of the concept of ''available time'' among du al-earner couples-the amount of overlap (in hours) in spouses' employm ent schedules and whether a spouse works day evening, night, or rotati ng shifts. I show that variations in employment schedules are signific ant determinants of a husband's share in traditionally female househol d tasks. Also important are certain aspects of spouses' resources, gen der role ideology, and stage in the life course. Interpretations of th ese findings take into account whether it is the husband's and/or wife 's hours performing household tasks that are affected by these variabl es, since husband's share depends on both. The data come from the 1986 -1987 National Survey of Families and Households, and my findings supp ort the view that modest increases in husbands' participation in house hold labor may result from the growing diversity in employment schedul es among American workers.