Cyclical Variation in Labor Hours and Productivity Using the ATUS
American Economic Review
vol. 103,
no. 3, May 2013
(pp. 99-104)
Abstract
We examine monthly variation in weekly work hours using data from 2003 to 2010. The data sources include the Current Population Survey (CPS) on hours/worker, the Current Employment Survey (CES) on hours/job, and the American Time Use Survey (ATUS) on both. The ATUS data minimize recall difficulties and constrain hours of work to accord with total available time. The ATUS hours/worker are less cyclical than the CPS series, but the hours/job are more cyclical than the CES series. We present alternative estimates of productivity based on ATUS data, and find that it is more pro-cyclical than other productivity measures.Citation
Burda, Michael C., Daniel S. Hamermesh, and Jay Stewart. 2013. "Cyclical Variation in Labor Hours and Productivity Using the ATUS." American Economic Review, 103 (3): 99-104. DOI: 10.1257/aer.103.3.99Additional Materials
JEL Classification
- E24 Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital
- E32 Business Fluctuations; Cycles
- G01 Financial Crises
- J22 Time Allocation and Labor Supply
- J24 Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity