kotityö

Kotityö is the Finnish term for the tasks and activities carried out in and around the home to maintain living conditions and care for residents. It includes housekeeping tasks such as cleaning, cooking, washing and ironing, laundry, shopping and meal planning, tidying, and minor home maintenance, as well as care work like child care, elder care, pet care, and related domestic duties.

In economics and sociology, kotityö is typically unpaid labor that forms part of the household economy and is not always captured by standard measures such as GDP. Time-use surveys show that a substantial share of weekly hours in many Finnish households is devoted to kotityö, and traditionally women have undertaken a larger portion, though the balance is changing with more dual-earner households and evolving social norms.

Policy and social context shape the distribution of kotityö. Access to affordable care services, parental leave, flexible work arrangements, and public services can reduce the burden on any one caregiver and support a more equal division of labor. Debates around kotityö emphasize recognizing its value, improving work–life balance, and integrating domestic and care work into economic and social policy.