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The American Time Use Survey (ATUS) of the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) will be the first federally administered, nationally representative, continuous survey of how people in the United States spend their time. The survey is scheduled for full production in January 2003 with national estimates available in mid-- 2004. Approximately fifty other countries have collected, or soon will collect, time-use data. Such data are considered important indicators of quality of life and are important inputs to determining the contribution of non-- market work to national economies. Time-use surveys measure, for example, time spent caring for children, volunteering, working, sleeping, or doing leisure activities. Using time-- use data in conjunction with wage data will allow analysts to better compare production between nations that have different mixes of market and non-- market activities. In the United States, several existing federal surveys collect income, wage, and consumer expenditure data for individuals and families; and analysts often use such measures of material prosperity as proxies for quality of life. Time-use data will substantially augment these quality-of-life measures.
Many ATUS users will be interested in the amount of time Americans spend doing productive non-market activities, such as childcare, volunteering, and housework. The survey will also provide information on the amount of time people spend in many other activities, such as working, commuting, religious activities, socializing, exercising, and relaxing. The data will be collected on an ongoing basis, ensuring that analysts will be able to identify changes in how people spend their time.
Uses of Time-use Data
BLS expects wide interest in time-- use data among economists, sociologists, journalists, business persons, policy makers, educators, lawyers, and others, as the survey information will have numerous applications. The survey will capture not only hours worked on an average weekday or weekend day, but also will show the distribution of where work is being done-at home, at an office, or somewhere else-and whether, over time, these distributions are changing.
Economic Applications
ATUS data will provide more comprehensive information about unpaid activities such as raising children and doing volunteer or housework that are not currently counted in national economic accounts even though they are...