Notable Changes in Time Use

If you compare the results of the 2011 American Time Use Survey with those from 2007, before the Great Recession, you can glean the many ways in which life has changed...

• Fewer men at work: Only 50 percent of men aged 15 or older worked on an average day in 2011, down from 54 percent in 2007.
• More sleep: With more people out of work, average sleep time increased from 8.57 to 8.71 hours per night.
• More home cooking: The percentage of people who participated in food preparation and cleanup on an average day grew from 51 to 53 percent.
• More schooling: The percentage of people aged 15 or older who attended classes or did homework on an average day climbed from 7.9 to 8.4 percent.
• Fewer watching TV: The percentage of people who watch TV on an average day fell by more than 1 percentage point between 2007 and 2011--from 79.5 to 78.3 percent. Among those who watched TV on an average day, however, viewing time grew from 3.30 to 3.51 hours.
• Fewer caring for kids: As births fell from their 2007 peak, the share who care for household children on an average day fell by a full percentage point--from 21.8 to 20.8 percent.

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, American Time Use Survey