Research investigation / November 13, 2026
The American Time Use Survey shows a higher share of people doing housework on weekend and holiday days than weekdays in 2025. The figures describe participation on diary days, not how much housework each person completed.
Housework on weekdays and weekends, 2025
Read the research
Question
Claim being tested
BLS found that 40% of people age 15 and older did housework on an average weekend or holiday day in 2025, versus 35% on an average weekday, a 5-percentage-point difference.
In 2025, 40% of people age 15 and older did housework on an average weekend or holiday day, compared with 35% on an average weekday, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Competing story frames
Fact-based response
SOURCE — The Bureau of Labor Statistics 2025 American Time Use Survey reports time-use diaries for people age 15 and older. Its table 2 distinguishes weekdays from weekends and holidays.
THE COMPARISON — BLS reports housework participation of 40% on weekend and holiday days versus 35% on weekdays. Subtracting the published rounded percentages yields a 5-percentage-point gap.
Source data comparison
| Category | % |
|---|---|
| Weekdays | 35% |
| Weekends and holidays | 40% |
BLS 2025 American Time Use Survey, Table 2. Share of people age 15+ doing housework on an average diary day; weekend days include holidays. Rounded percentages.
WHAT COUNTS — Housework is a narrower category within household activities. Household activities also include food preparation, yard care, household management, and other tasks. Do not interpret this housework statistic as the share doing any household activity.
WHAT IT DOES NOT SHOW — These are population-wide daily participation estimates, not the proportion of households completing chores, not time spent per participant, and not evidence that an individual does more housework every weekend.
LIMITATIONS — Weekend days and holidays are combined in the BLS comparison. The estimates are rounded and reflect diary-day activity. Employment patterns, schedules, and household composition may influence the difference; the survey comparison does not establish causation or immigration-related effects.