Abstract
Since the 1980s, women have become joint breadwinners in many households in Spain.
This study analyzes whether this change in the labor force participation rate of Spanish women has substantially modified strategies for meeting household needs. Using the 2002–3 Spanish Time Use Survey, this study examines the total (paid and unpaid) work time devoted to satisfying the direct care needs of individuals and the determinants of women's and men's participation in housework. These findings are compared with the hypotheses advanced in the literature. The results show that the new social conditions have only slightly modified men's behavior, but that the care strategies women adopt have changed substantially. Although still responsible for care, women now externalize part of this commitment either via the market if their wages permit or by seeking help inside the family. The study concludes by discussing the public policy implications of the findings.