A chore for women as men get more leisure

THERE is not just a gender pay gap – men are also enjoying almost five more hours a week of leisure time, according to a report.

The difference has worsened rather than improved over the past 15 years, the Office for National Statistics found.

While men kick back and relax for 43 hours per week, women are too busy doing chores and the bulk of childcare and manage only around 38 hours.

Since 2000, men have gained an extra hour to watch the football, play golf or go to the pub; timestarved women, meanwhile, have 10 minutes less to catch up with friends or pursue a hobby.

The analysis, which follows the publication of figures last year, said: “There is a growth in inequality between men and women when it comes to taking leisure time.

“Men are now taking quite a lot more time each week for leisure and women are taking less compared with 2000. Leisure time for women could be less than for men because although women are more frequently engaged in part-time work than men, they spend more time completing unpaid work such as household chores and childcare.

“The hours spent on unpaid work are likely to replace those hours that could have been spent on leisure activities.”

Leisure time excludes chores, childcare, study and travel unrelated to leisure activities, as well as time spent eating and sleeping.

People living with a child under the age of 15 report that they take up to 14 hours per week less leisure time than those on their own.

Men consistently enjoyed more leisure time than women regardless of the child’s age, the ONS noted.

Time to relax rises with age, with those over 65, and usually retired, getting the most.