Why Dual-Earner Households in Seoul Live Closer to the Wife's Workplace than the Husband's?

Abstract

This study analyses the determinants of residential location patterns of dual-worker households in the Seoul Metropolitan area (SMA) using the 2006 Household Travel Survey (HTS) data. To achieve this we employ two statistical methods: (1) a multinomial logit (MNL) model for analysing the residential location patterns of dual-worker households given the couples' predetermined joint workplaces; and (2) standard regression models to identify the determinants of couples' spatial separation (or proximity) between their homes and workplaces. Our major findings can be summarised as follows: (1) dual-worker households in the SMA are likely to choose a residence closer to the wife's workplace than the husband's; (2) the wife's commute length and duration are significantly shorter than the husband's; (3) the wife's family serving role is the most important factor in determining a location with greater proximity between the home and the wife's workplace; and (4) commute times better depict gender differences than commute distance.