Unpaid Work Calculator
Calculate the monetary value of household chores and unpaid care work
Professional Work Details
Select your country for accurate outsourcing costs
Current or expected hourly wage
Current weekly work hours
Unpaid Work Hours Per Week
Cooking, meal planning, grocery shopping
House cleaning, organizing, maintenance
Washing, drying, folding, ironing
Direct child supervision and care
Homework help, tutoring, educational activities
Caring for elderly, sick, or disabled family
Pet feeding, walking, grooming, vet visits
Driving family, errands, appointments
Home repairs, maintenance, DIY projects
Lawn care, landscaping, plant maintenance
Value of Your Unpaid Work
Annual Value
Replacement Cost: $0/year
Opportunity Cost: $0/year
Total Hours: 0 hours/year
What This Means
• Replacement cost: What it would cost to hire professionals
• Opportunity cost: What you could earn working instead
• Your unpaid work has significant economic value
Outsourcing Scenario Analysis
How many hours you want to outsource to services
How many hours family members will take on
Average Outsourcing Costs
Rates vary by location and service quality
Unpaid Work Facts
Women globally spend ~4 hours/day on unpaid work vs 2.5 hours for men
Unpaid work is worth at least $10.8 trillion annually worldwide
In rural areas, women may spend up to 14 hours/day on care work
This "invisible" work often prevents people from taking paid jobs
Understanding the Value of Unpaid Work
What is Unpaid Work?
Unpaid work includes all household chores, care work, and domestic tasks that don't receive monetary compensation. This includes cooking, cleaning, childcare, elder care, and household management - activities that would cost money if outsourced to professionals.
Why Calculate Its Value?
- •Recognize the economic contribution of household work
- •Make informed decisions about work-life balance
- •Evaluate the financial benefits of outsourcing
- •Advocate for fair distribution of household tasks
Calculation Methods
Replacement Cost Method
Calculates what it would cost to hire professionals to do the same work. Uses market rates for cleaning services, childcare, meal delivery, etc.
Opportunity Cost Method
Calculates what you could earn if you worked those hours at your current wage rate instead of doing unpaid work.
Note: Both methods help quantify the economic value of unpaid work, supporting better financial and lifestyle decisions.
The Triple "R" Approach
Recognize
Give visibility to unpaid work by calculating its monetary value and acknowledging its contribution to the economy.
Reduce
Minimize time spent on unpaid work through technology, better infrastructure, and more efficient methods.
Redistribute
Share unpaid work fairly within households and transfer some tasks to social services or market solutions.