Outsourcing of Domestic Work in Chile and Uruguay: Exploring Links with Time-Use Patterns

Abstract

This article analyzes the demand for paid domestic work and the relationship between the outsourcing of domestic work and gender gaps in unpaid work in Chile and Uruguay. Households demanding paid domestic work are similar in Chile and Uruguay but are more concentrated in the upper-income quintile in Chile. In both countries, the presence of domestic workers is associated with a reduction in the gender gap in unpaid hours of work within households. In Chile, this is mainly due to the reduction of women’s unpaid work and in Uruguay, it is also associated with men’s time spent in unpaid work. HIGHLIGHTS Women’s earnings and bargaining power drive household outsourcing decisions. Presence of young children strongly predicts domestic service hiring patterns. Hiring domestic workers leads to a reduction in intrahousehold gender gaps in unpaid work. In Uruguay, domestic outsourcing reduces unpaid work for both, more for women. In Chile, domestic outsourcing primarily reduces women’s unpaid work only. The presence of domestic workers does not modify intrahousehold gender gaps in paid work in more traditional gender contexts.