MEASURING TRENDS IN LEISURE: THE ALLOCATION OF TIME OVER FIVE DECADES

MEASURING TRENDS IN LEISURE: THE ALLOCATION OF TIME OVER FIVE DECADES

March 2006 | Mark Aguiar, Erik Hurst
This paper examines trends in the allocation of time over five decades in the United States, focusing on leisure and non-market work. Using data from five major time-use surveys, the authors find that leisure time increased significantly between 1965 and 2003. Specifically, men's leisure increased by 6-8 hours per week, driven by a decline in market work hours, while women's leisure increased by 4-8 hours per week, driven by a decline in home production work hours. This increase in leisure corresponds to an additional 5 to 10 weeks of vacation per year or 8 to 9 percent of total 2003 U.S. consumption expenditures. The study also documents growing inequality in leisure, mirroring the growing inequality in wages and expenditures. Additionally, the paper analyzes changes in leisure by educational attainment, finding that less-educated adults experienced the largest increases in leisure. The findings highlight the importance of understanding how time is allocated away from the market, as it has implications for market labor supply and welfare calculations.This paper examines trends in the allocation of time over five decades in the United States, focusing on leisure and non-market work. Using data from five major time-use surveys, the authors find that leisure time increased significantly between 1965 and 2003. Specifically, men's leisure increased by 6-8 hours per week, driven by a decline in market work hours, while women's leisure increased by 4-8 hours per week, driven by a decline in home production work hours. This increase in leisure corresponds to an additional 5 to 10 weeks of vacation per year or 8 to 9 percent of total 2003 U.S. consumption expenditures. The study also documents growing inequality in leisure, mirroring the growing inequality in wages and expenditures. Additionally, the paper analyzes changes in leisure by educational attainment, finding that less-educated adults experienced the largest increases in leisure. The findings highlight the importance of understanding how time is allocated away from the market, as it has implications for market labor supply and welfare calculations.
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