Till Chores Tear Us Apart: Perceived Unfairness in Household Labor Division and the Risk of Union Dissolution among German Couples

Sofia Garcia Durrer , Hertie School/Humboldt University

Despite substantial progress toward gender equality, women continue to shoulder a disproportionate share of domestic labor and caregiving responsibilities, with these inequalities often intensifying as partnerships become institutionalized. Although prior research has documented the unequal distribution of household labor, less attention has been given to how partners perceive these arrangements and how perceived unfairness influences relationship outcomes. We analyze how subjective evaluations of the division of labor are associated with the likelihood of union dissolution among German couples. Drawing on data from the German Family Panel (pairfam) and the German Family Demography Panel Study (FReDA), and applying Cox proportional hazards models to survival-structured data, the analysis assesses how perceptions of inequity in both overall labor and unpaid domestic work shape separation risks. The preliminary results indicate that respondents who view the overall division of labor in their household as unfair experience a much higher risk of union dissolution compared to those who view it as fair. The association is especially pronounced among full-time employed women, suggesting that economic autonomy strengthens women’s ability to leave relationships characterized by persistent dissatisfaction and unequal household labor. This research highlights the importance of incorporating subjective fairness assessments into research and policy designs on relationship dynamics and underscore economic independence as a key condition allowing women to act on perceived injustices within intimate partnerships

See extended abstract

 Presented in Session 71. Domestic Labour and Partnership Satisfaction