Though household income differences in domestic labor outsourcing are well documented, with higher-income couples outsourcing at higher rates, a potential causal link between income and outsourcing has not been established. Using the Alaska Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) as a natural experiment and data from the 1996-2020 waves of the Consumer Expenditure Survey, I test whether different-gender couples use a positive income shock to outsource their domestic labor. I examine whether there are different effects by type of labor (yardwork, cleaning and laundry, childcare, or adultcare) and by couples’ income level. I consistently find null effects, meaning that couples do not outsource more after receiving an income shock, suggesting that couples prioritize other forms of spending over reducing their housework and carework demands. I discuss potential explanations for these findings in the context of continued gender inequalities within different-gender couples.
