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  3. American Economic Review
  4. August 2013
  5. Time Use during the Great Recession

American Economic Review

ISSN 0002-8282 (Print) | ISSN 1944-7981 (Online)

Time Use during the Great Recession

  • Mark Aguiar
  • Erik Hurst
  • Loukas Karabarbounis
American Economic Review
vol. 103, no. 5, August 2013
(pp. 1664–96)
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Abstract

Using data from the American Time Use Survey between 2003 and 2010, we document that home production absorbs roughly 30 percent of foregone market work hours at business cycle frequencies. Leisure absorbs roughly 50 percent of foregone market work hours, with sleeping and television watching accounting for most of this increase. We document significant increases in time spent on shopping, child care, education, and health. Job search absorbs between 2 and 6 percent of foregone market work hours. We discuss the implications of our results for business cycle models with home production and non-separable preferences.

Citation

Aguiar, Mark, Erik Hurst, and Loukas Karabarbounis. 2013. "Time Use during the Great Recession." American Economic Review, 103 (5): 1664–96. DOI: 10.1257/aer.103.5.1664

Additional Materials

JEL Classification

  • D31 Personal Income, Wealth, and Their Distributions
  • E32 Business Fluctuations; Cycles
  • J22 Time Allocation and Labor Supply