The association between the housework and childcare division of the couple and the wife's subjective well being
How does the share of housework and childcare among married couples affect the subjective well-being (SWB) of the wife? In Japan, this issue attracts the attention of working married women bearing heavy responsibility for housework and childcare. This study aims to examine the association between the housework and childcare division of the couple and the wife's SWB by using the Japan Panel Survey of Consumers (JPSC). The results of this study provide three empirical findings. First, the association between the housework and childcare division of the couple and the wife's SWB was inverted U shape. Second, the simulation by the Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) showed that the maximum degree of happiness of the wife depends on the working status of the wife. Third, the simulation by the OLS also revealed that as the number of children increased, the proportion of housework and childcare for the wife who maximized happiness increased.
