The Battle Over Housework

A study showed that Swedish women do 66% of the housework. In Greece women do 80% and in the United Kingdom women do 70%. In Canada, according to a Stats Canada study, women do about 58% of the housework.

This takes me back to a previous post about labour division, where I pointed out the quantity of hours worked by males is higher than females. But I think this time it would be worthwhile to break it down to percentages.

Looking at 20-29 year olds of the baby-boomers, gen x, and gen y, this is the break down:

• Baby-boomers:
• Women did 73% of housework, 42% of paid work = 115%
• Men did 27% of housework, 58% of paid work = 85%
• Generation X
• Women did 67% of housework, 43% of paid work = 110%
• Men did 33% of housework, 57% of paid work = 90%
• Generation Y
• Women did 58% of housework, 43% of paid work = 101%
• Men did 42% of housework, 57% of paid work = 99%

It is almost on par for Generation Y in terms of an equal distribution of labor. So I find the new study around housework, while an issue overseas, isn't as much of an issue here in Canada, and we should celebrate it.

Student Achievement Among Canadian 15 Year Olds

Statistics Canada recently released an Education Indicators study.  I found a particular grouping of tables interesting.  Under their Student Achievement grouping of tables, was the estimated averages of 15 year old students in the Programme for International Student Assessment.  They looked at the categories of reading, science and math and compared 2009 results to previous years scores in each category.

If you look at the numbers, provided below, it is interesting to see what the numbers are saying.  Canada, on average nationwide, has gone by 5 points in Science and Math, and 10 points in Reading.  Every single province has declined in every single subject, except Quebec in Math, and Nova Scotia in Science.