How Americans Spend Their Time: The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ American Time Use Survey (ATUS) for 2023 reveals fascinating insights into how Americans balance work, household responsibilities, and leisure activities. This comprehensive report and video sheds light on the evolving landscape of remote work, gender differences in household chores, and leisure time distribution across age groups.
Remote Work Continues to Thrive
In 2023, remote work remained a significant part of the American work culture:
– 35% of employed individuals performed some or all of their work from home on workdays.
– Those who worked from home averaged 5.1 hours of remote work per day.
– The percentage of remote workers in 2023 (35%) was significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels in 2019 (24%).
Education and Remote Work
Higher education levels correlated with increased likelihood of working from home:
– 52% of workers with a bachelor’s degree or higher worked from home on workdays.
– Only 22% of those with a high school diploma and no college education worked remotely.
Gender Dynamics in Work and Household Activities
The survey uncovered interesting patterns in work hours and household responsibilities between genders:
– Men worked an average of 36 minutes more per day than women, even among full-time workers.
– Women were more likely to engage in household activities (86%) compared to men (71%).
– On days when household activities were performed, women spent an average of 2.7 hours on these tasks, while men spent 2.1 hours.
Housework Distribution
– 48% of women did housework like cleaning or laundry on an average day.
– Only 22% of men engaged in similar housework activities.
Leisure Time Trends
The survey provided insights into how Americans spend their leisure time:
– 94% of individuals aged 15 and over engaged in some form of leisure activity daily.
– Men spent more time on leisure activities (5.6 hours) compared to women (4.8 hours).
– Adults aged 75 and over spent the most time on leisure activities, averaging 7.6 hours per day.
Television Viewing Habits
– Watching TV remained the dominant leisure activity, accounting for 2.7 hours per day on average.
– However, the percentage of people watching TV daily decreased from 79% in 2013 to 74% in 2023.
Childcare Responsibilities
The survey also highlighted patterns in childcare:
– Adults in households with children under 6 spent an average of 2.3 hours per day on primary childcare.
– Women spent significantly more time on physical care for young children (1.2 hours) compared to men (34 minutes).
– Secondary childcare, where adults cared for children while doing other activities, averaged 5.1 hours per day for households with children under 13.
This comprehensive look at Americans’ daily activities provides valuable insights for policymakers, employers, and individuals seeking to understand and improve work-life balance in the post-pandemic era.