Time Use and Time Budgets

Abstract

Time use statistics offer a unique tool for exploring a wide range of policy concerns including social change; division of labor; allocation of time for household work; the estimation of the value of household production; transportation; leisure and recreation; pension plans; and health-care programmes, among others” (United Nations). This advisory report will discuss recent developments, improvements and future challenges of time use and time budgets for policy and research with a focus on international but especially national developments in Germany that have emerged in the wake of the 2001 KVI report. The topics to be addressed are: recently established international time use institutions, data archives, and surveys; German time use databases and their accessibility, current time use research fields and studies; time use for economic and social policy; new methods in time use survey sampling; future developments; and European and international challenges. The conclusions and recommendations first urge the implementation of the new German Time Use Survey (GTUS 2011/12) and urgently call for its financing and support for its active organization. Specific GTUS improvements, SOEP time use issues, a brand new time use panel, and the permanent establishment of the German Research Data Centers are also recommended.