Unpaid labor

'It's the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.' Wait, Is It?

Women take on almost all of the additional responsibilities during the holidays. Our cartoonist looks at the data.

Aubrey Hirsch

Dec 5, 2024 — 1 min read

"On an average day, women already face the 'double shift' of balancing work and domestic labor"

"The holidays intensify these imbalances, for example women are more likely to do all or most of the cooking and cleaning."

"Rising social media use has added to the pressure to create picture-perfect holidays."

"Seasonal celebrations add a third job, 'magic making', to our already full plates."

During the holidays women are feel more stress from lack of money, lack of time, and pressure related to exchanging gifts.

A 2022 meta-analysis of 19 studies confirmed persistent inequalities in the division of unpaid work among men and women.

As we share in the magic together this year, let's make sure we're sharing the workload, too.

Aubrey Hirsch writes GRAPHIC RAGE on Substack. Her comics have appeared in TIME, Vox, The Washington Post and elsewhere.

The Persistent is available as a newsletter. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox.

Behind-the-scenes shot of Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi rolling around on a moor as crew members look on.

'Wuthering Heights' is an Awful Book. But the Movie Makes It Better.

I’ve always thought Emily Brontë's classic was a horrible book about horrible people. But Emerald Fennell’s movie, with its moments of tenderness, has made it just a little less horrible.

Photo of a stoney-faced crowd waving rainbow Pride flags. One flag has 'NEVER BROKEN' written on it.

LGBT Americans Are Disappearing From Federal Data

New research shows the extent to which sexual orientation and gender identity has been eliminated from federal data collections since the beginning of Donald Trump's second presidency.

Black and white photo of an old hospital nursery, with newborns in little bassinets arranged in rows.

'It Is Time to Reflect On Whether Or Not to Have a Child'—Oh, Boy.

In its efforts to combat infertility, France is missing the point. That's because a decision to have a child isn't just a medical issue, it's a social one, too.

Scientific Papers By Women Take Longer to Publish

New research has shown that when a woman academic is the lead author, the peer review process takes longer.

Read more

'Wuthering Heights' is an Awful Book. But the Movie Makes It Better.

LGBT Americans Are Disappearing From Federal Data

'It Is Time to Reflect On Whether Or Not to Have a Child'—Oh, Boy.

Scientific Papers By Women Take Longer to Publish