Time Use Surveys:

1
Time Use Surveys
Harmonised and Timely Data to Inform Policymaking

• UNECE Work Session on Gender Statistics
• Geneva, 12-14 March 2012

2
Conclusions of the In-depth Review by the
Conference of European Statisticians, 2010

• Need to improve comparability, timeliness and
  efficiency
• Usefulness of practical guidelines to improve
  harmonisation
• Policy relevance to be better explained
• Establish a task force

3
Objectives of the Task Force

• Guide harmonisation
• Collect good practice
• Demonstrate policy relevance

4
Focus of the Guidelines

• Minimum set of comparable statistical measures
• Timeliness. Light surveys
• Time use classificationsMinimum list of
  activities comparable across any national
  classification

5
Policy Relevance

• Key reason for conducting TUS
• Increased in the light of recent initiatives
• TUS inform on a broad range of issues
• For certain issues, TUS indispensable

6
Unpaid Work and Non-market Production

• GDP does not capture non-market sectors ?
  potentially misleading policy conclusions
• Estimation of opportunity cost
• Household Satellite Accounts

7
Well-being

• The Stiglitz commission report
• Measurement of social and leisure time
• Work-life balance

8
Social and Leisure Time

• What is the influence of government policy?
• Unpaid activities to maintain quality of life
• Childcare
• Repairs around the home
• Buying supplies and goods
• Correlation of activities with well-being

9
Work-life Balance

• Work hours from labour force surveys
• Time use surveys
• When during the day (atypical hours)?
• Duration of spells
• Synchronisation among partners
• Daily and weekly work rhythms
• Details of time use at workplace
• Work at home

10
Gender Equality

• Unequal distribution of paid and unpaid work
• Unsociable working hours
• Monitor specific targets
• Fathers time with children
• Sharing of housework
• Womens time in paid work
• Life course variation of time use pattern

11
Health

• Unpaid health care
• Health behaviours exercise, eating, sleeping
• Health effects of work and leisure patterns
• New mothers time use patterns

12
Other Use of Time Use Data

• Transport commuting patterns
• Cultural policy, timing of programmes
• Sport-related policy
• Policies targeting specific population groups
• Rural areas
• Elderly
• Children
• Youth

13
Key Issues Measured by TUS

• Unpaid work and non-market production
• Well-being
• Gender equality

14
Conclusion

• Time use surveys can inform a broad range of
  policies
• Indispensable for the three key areas where other
  sources insufficient ? core rationale for
  conducting TUS regularly
• Unpaid work and non-market production
• Well-being
• Gender equality