How The Recession Has Changed The Way People Spend Their Time

June 27, 2012 in Daily Bulletin

The American Bureau of Labor Statistics compiles an annual time-use survey that takes a look at how Americans over the age of 15 spend their time. Using data from the survey we can see how the recession has changed how Americans spend their time:

  • Americans work less. They worked 14.4 minutes a day more in 2007. This whole recession is about those 14 minutes.
  • 11.4 minutes of those 14.4 have gone to sleep. Americans now sleep 8.42 hours a day.
  • Americans also spent 7.8 more minutes a day watching television.
  • The amount of time spent on household chores declined.

To read more including how this relates to GDP, what else has changed since 2007, what happened to the amount of volunteerism, and how men and women differ in how they spend their time, click here.

Source: EconoMonitor