Women are working more but still take on the bulk of domestic duties, according to a new report.

The study from the Economic and Social Research Council says that in 2002, 70 per cent of working age women were in employment, a rise of 10 per cent since 1979.

But it showed the number of men in employment and the hours that they work has fallen.

Despite these changes it is still predominantly women who take time off to look after sick children - including 60 per cent of women who earn the same or more then their partners.

Working mothers with children were found to put twice as many hours into housework as their partners, despite the possibility of 'role reversal' in earnings.

Housework is however more evenly split in dual income households, especially when women earn as much or more than their partners and have no children.

And the increased time pressures for working mums is reported to be holding back their earning power and limiting career progression.

Pay gap

Doctor Susan Harkness from the University of Bristol said that despite recent progress "there remain employment inequalities between men and women".

"However, the pay gap is much narrower between men and women with degrees and there is some good news for less skilled women," she added.

"They've seen the largest improvement in their relative labour market position, but it's still women who're doing most of the housework, regardless of qualifications."

Dr Harkness said that some newly introduced policies aimed at improving work-life balance, such as paternity leave, could help redress current imbalances.

"But others, like the new rights of full-time carers to request flexible working conditions, are likely, in my view, to reinforce current gender divisions in housework - because carers are usually women," she said.