General

A time use survey is a statistical survey which aims to report data on how, on average, people spend their time. The objective is to identify, classify and quantify the main types of activity that people engage in during a definite time period, e.g. a year. Statistical survey methodologies to construct data on time use were first devised in the 1960s, although the concept of time use data dates back to the 1920s. Useful information is available from the ESRC Research Centre on Micro-social Change, Essex, England.

Among other things, time use surveys can reveal the magnitudes of household work and voluntary work performed beyond paid jobs.

Some references

Origin of Time Use surveys: http://iserwww.essex.ac.uk/mtus/index.php

British ESRC Time Use programme: http://iserwww.essex.ac.uk/misoc/timeuse/

Japan http://www5.cao.go.jp/98/g/19981105g-unpaid-e.html http://www.stat.go.jp/english/data/shakai/1.htm

Germany and some other countries: http://www.newint.org/issue181/facts.htm

United States: http://www.bls.gov/news.release/atus.nr0.htm http://www.bls.gov/tus/home.htm

Britain: http://www.cev.be/Documents%5CFacts&Figures_UK.pdf http://www.statistics.gov.uk/STATBASE/ssdataset.asp?vlnk=3720

New Zealand: http://www.psa.org.nz/library/other/statistics%20nz/statistics%20nz%20-%20measuring%20unpaid%20work%20in%20new%20zealand%20-%201999.pdf.

Canada: http://www.statcan.ca/Daily/English/991109/d991109a.htm http://www.statcan.ca/english/sdds/4503.htm