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Business Daily

How Economists Forgot Housework

May 3, 2018
Feminist economists argue for the inclusion of housework in GDP stats to recognize its value. Hannah Peaker and Joyce Jacobsen discuss Adam Smith's oversight, challenges faced by the Women's Equality Party, and the need to value caretaking and housework in economic discourse.
17:53

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Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Unpaid housework by women significantly contributes to the economy but is often undervalued in economic measurements.
  • Including unpaid housework in economic calculations challenges traditional GDP measurements and requires a shift in societal perceptions.

Deep dives

Importance of Recognizing Unpaid Housework

Unpaid housework, including cooking, cleaning, and caring, plays a crucial role in the economy but is often overlooked. Traditional economic measurements ignore the significant contribution of unpaid labor, predominantly performed by women, in maintaining households and supporting economic activities. Feminist economics advocates for the inclusion of unpaid housework in economic calculations to accurately reflect the true value of household contributions to the economy.

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