1

Technical information: (202) 691-6339

 http://www.bls.gov/tus/

Media contact: 691-5902

USDL 04-1797

For release: 10:00 A.M. EDT

Tuesday, September 14, 2004

TIME-USE SURVEY— FIRST RESULTS ANNOUNCED BY BLS

The Bureau of Labor Statistics of the U.S. Department of Labor reported today that in 2003:

• On the days that they worked, employed men worked about an hour more than employed

women—8.0 versus 7.1 hours.

• Employed adult women (18 years and over) spent about an hour more per day than employed

adult men doing household activities and caring for household members.

• On days that they worked, about 1 in 5 employed persons did some or all of their work at home.

• Adults in households without children spent about 1.4 hours more per day engaged in leisure and

sports activities than those with children.

These are some examples of information derived from the new American Time Use Survey (ATUS).

While BLS has long produced statistics about the labor market, such as employment, hours, and earnings, the

ATUS marks the first time that a federal statistical agency has produced estimates on how Americans spend

another critical resource—their time. The ATUS collects data on the activities people do during the day and

how much time they spend doing them.

The possibilities for using ATUS data are extremely broad. This new information will provide a context

for how work fits into people’s lives—showing how people balance leisure and family time with work and

other activities, such as childcare and meal preparation—and how time use varies across demographic and

labor force groups. Analysts also can make comparisons of time spent in various activities between weekdays and weekends. As additional years of data become available, researchers will be able to track trends

in time use. This release presents highlights in four subject areas: Work, household activities, childcare

activities, and leisure.

Data collection for the ATUS began in January 2003. The survey is sponsored by the Bureau of Labor

Statistics and conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. ATUS estimates for 2003 are based on interviews of

about 21,000 individuals. Respondents were interviewed only once and reported their activities for the 24-

hour period from 4 a.m. on the day before the interview until 4 a.m. on the day of the interview—their “diary

(This news release was reissued on Wednesday, January 12, 2005, to correct some errors in the

data. The analyses in this release were not affected by the corrections. For more information, see

www.bls.gov/tus/note01122005.htm.)
2

day.” If respondents reported doing more than one activity at a time, they were asked to identify which

activity was primary. Activities were then grouped into categories for analysis.

The “Average Day”

On an “average day” in 2003, persons in the U.S. age 15 and over slept about 8.6 hours, spent 5.1

hours doing leisure and sports activities, worked for 3.7 hours, and spent 1.8 hours doing household

activities. The remaining 4.8 hours were spent in a variety of other activities, including eating and drinking,

attending school, and shopping. The average day measures for the entire population reflect the average

distribution of time across all persons, whether or not each person engaged in that activity on their diary day.

(See table 1.)

Average day measures for the entire population provide a mechanism for seeing the overall distribution

of time allocation for society as a whole, but other measures provide additional insights. Many activities

typically are not done on a daily basis, and some activities only are done by a subset of the population.

For example, only 44 percent of all persons 15 years and over reported working on an average day because

some were not employed and others were employed but did not work on their diary day. For this reason,

some of the analysis that follows uses time-use estimates that are restricted to specific population groups,

such as employed persons or adults in households with children.

Working (by Employed Persons)

• Employed persons worked 7.6 hours on average on the days that they worked. Work hours were

longer on weekdays than on weekend days—7.9 versus 5.7 hours. (See table 4.)

• Many more people worked on weekdays than on weekend days. About 82 percent of employed

persons worked on an average weekday, compared with 33 percent on an average weekend day.

(See table 4.)

• As noted earlier, on the days they worked, employed men worked about an hour more than employed

women. This difference partly reflects women’s greater likelihood of working part time. However,

even among full-time workers (those usually working 35 hours or more per week), men worked slightly

longer than women—8.3 versus 7.7 hours. (See tables 4 and 5.)

• Multiple jobholders were twice as likely as single jobholders to report work on an average Saturday or

Sunday. Weekend work also was more often reported by self-employed workers than by wage and

salary workers. (See table 4.)

• About 19 percent of employed persons who worked on their diary day reported doing some or all of

their work at home. Among employed persons who reported working on the diary day, 33 percent of

those who had a bachelor’s degree or higher did some work at home, compared with about 13 percent

of those who held a high school diploma only. (See table 5.)

• Self-employed persons were far more likely than wage and salary workers to have done some work at

home—51 versus 16 percent. Multiple jobholders also were much more likely to work at home than

were persons with one job. (See table 5.)

Household Activities (by the Entire Population)

• On an average day in 2003, 84 percent of women and 63 percent of men spent some time doing

household activities, such as housework, cooking, lawn care, or financial and other household

management. (See table 1.)
3

• Twenty percent of men reported doing housework—such as cleaning or doing laundry—compared with

55 percent of women. About 35 percent of men did food preparation or cleanup versus 66 percent of

women. (See table 1.)

•Women who reported doing household activities on the diary day spent about 2.8 hours on such activities

while men spent 2.1 hours. (See table 1.)

Care of Household Children (by Adults in Households with Children)

• Adult women in households with children under age 18 spent about 1.7 hours providing childcare as their

primary activity. Adult men in such households spent 0.8 hour (about 50 minutes). (These include those

who provided care on the diary day and those who did not.) (See table 7.)

• In households with the youngest child under age 6, time spent providing primary childcare averaged

2.7 hours for women and 1.2 hours for men. Physical care, playing with children, and travel related to

childcare were the most common primary childcare activities. (See table 7.)

• Adult women in households with children under age 13 spent on average about 6.4 hours providing

secondary childcare. That is, they had at least one child under age 13 in their care while doing other

things, such as housework or shopping. Adult men in such households spent about 4.1 hours providing

this type of care. (See table 8.)

Leisure Activities (by the Entire Population)

• On an average day in 2003, nearly everyone (96 percent) age 15 and over reported some sort of leisure

or sports activity, such as watching TV, socializing, or exercising. Including the small proportion of the

population that reported no leisure activities, men spent more time doing leisure activities (5.4 hours) than

women (4.8 hours). (See table 1.)

• Watching TV was the leisure activity that occupied the most time, accounting for about half of leisure

time on average for both men and women. Socializing, such as visiting with friends or attending or

hosting social events, was the next most common leisure activity, accounting for about three-quarters

of an hour per day for both sexes. (See table 1.)

• Men were more likely than women to participate in sports on any given day, 19 versus 16 percent.

Men also spent more time in sports activities on the days they participated, 2.0 versus 1.3 hours.

(See table 1.)

• In households with children under age 6, employed adult women spent 3.3 hours per day in leisure and

sports activities. Those in households without children spent 4.2 hours per day. (See table 6.)

•Time spent in leisure and sports activities was greatest at the youngest and oldest ages. Persons ages 15

to 24 averaged 5.5 hours of leisure time per day while those age 65 and over—most of whom were not

employed—reported 7.2 hours of leisure. Persons ages 55 to 64 reported 5.3 hours. Persons ages 25

to 54 spent less time doing leisure activities but still recorded more than 4 hours per day. (See table 3.)

• Older persons spent a larger proportion of their leisure time than others watching TV, reading, and

relaxing/thinking. Younger persons spent a relatively larger share of their time socializing, playing sports,

and playing games or using a computer for leisure. Reading as a primary activity varied greatly by age.

The oldest age group averaged an hour of reading per day, while the youngest averaged about 8 minutes.

(See table 9.)
4

Microdata Release

BLS will release the first annual ATUS microdata files and accompanying documentation at a future date.

The microdata files will contain records of respondents’ answers to the survey questions. In accordance with

BLS and Census Bureau policies that protect respondents’ privacy, identifying fields will be removed from

the data and some responses may be edited. These data are intended for users who wish to do their own

tabulations and analyses. They will be available on the BLS Web site at http://www.bls.gov/tus/.

Future Releases

BLS plans to release ATUS estimates and microdata annually. Please refer to the BLS Web site at

http://www.bls.gov/tus/ for updates to ATUS data.

For More Information

For additional information, please see the Technical Note or the ATUS Web site. Additional information

about the ATUS also may be obtained by e-mailing ATUSinfo@bls.gov or by calling 202-691-6339.

Information in this release will be made available to sensory impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone:

202-691-5200; TDD message referral phone: 1-800-877-8339.
Technical Note

Survey methodology

Data collection for the American Time Use Survey (ATUS)

began in January 2003. Sample cases for the survey are selected

monthly and interviews are conducted continuously

throughout the year. In 2003, approximately 21,000 individuals

were interviewed. Estimates will be released annually.

ATUS sample households are chosen from the households

that completed their eighth (final) interview for the Current

Population Survey (CPS), the nation’s monthly household labor

force survey. ATUS sample households are selected to ensure

that estimates will be nationally representative.

One individual age 15 or older is randomly chosen from each

sampled household. This “designated person” is interviewed

by telephone once about his or her activities on the day before

the interview—the “diary day.”

All ATUS interviews are conducted using Computer

Assisted Telephone Interviewing. Procedures are in place to

collect information from the small number of households that

did not provide a telephone number during the CPS interview.

ATUS designated persons are preassigned a day of the week

about which to report. Preassignment is designed to reduce

variability in response rates across the week and to allow

oversampling of weekend days, so that accurate weekend day

measures can be developed. Interviews occur on the day

following the assigned day. For example, a person assigned to

report about a Monday would be contacted on the following

Tuesday. Ten percent of designated persons are assigned to

report about each of the five weekdays. Twenty-five percent

are assigned to report about each weekend day. Households

are called for up to 8 consecutive weeks (for example, 8

Tuesdays) in order to secure an interview.

About the questionnaire

In the time diary portion of the ATUS interview, respondents

sequentially report activities they did between 4 a.m. on the day

before the interview (“yesterday”) until 4 a.m. on the day of the

interview. For each activity, respondents are asked how long

the activity lasted. For activities other than personal care

activities (such as sleeping and grooming), interviewers also

ask respondents where they were and who was in the room with

them (if at home) or who accompanied them (if away from home).

If respondents report doing more than one activity at a time,

they are asked to identify which one was the “main” (primary)

activity. If none can be identified, it is assumed to be the first

one mentioned. After completing the time diary, interviewers

ask respondents additional questions to collect more

information to assist coders in clearly identifying work,

volunteering, and secondary childcare activities. Secondary

childcare is defined as having a child under age 13 in one’s care

while doing other things.

In addition, the ATUS includes an update of the household

roster information from the last CPS interview (2-4 months prior

to the ATUS interview) and the employment status information

of the designated person and his or her spouse or unmarried

partner. For designated persons who became employed or

changed jobs between the last CPS interview and the ATUS

interview, information is also collected on industry, occupation,

class of worker, and earnings. For those who are unemployed

or on layoff, CPS questions on job search activities and layoff

are asked. Finally, a question about current school enrollment

status is asked of all respondents ages 15 to 49.

After completing the interview, primary activity descriptions

are assigned a single 6-digit code using the ATUS Coding

Lexicon. The 3-tier coding system consists of 17 broad activity

categories, each with multiple second- and third-tier

subcategories. There were a total of 438 distinct categories in

the 2003 ATUS Coding Lexicon. Activities are then combined

into composite categories for publication, such as in this news

release. Descriptions of categories shown in this release can be

found in the Major activity category definitions section of this

Technical Note. The 2003 ATUS Coding Lexicon can be

accessed at http://www.bls.gov/tus/.

Concepts and definitions

Average hours per day. The average number of hours spent

in a 24-hour day (between 4 a.m. on the diary day and 4 a.m. on

the interview day) doing a specified activity.

• Average hours per day, population. The average number

of hours per day is computed using all responses from a

given population, including respondents who did not do a

particular activity on their diary day. These estimates

reflect how many population members engaged in an

activity and the amount of time they spent doing it.

• Average hours per day, persons reporting the activity on

 the diary day. The average number of hours per day is

 computed using only responses from those who engaged

 in a particular activity on their diary day.

Diary day. The diary day is the day about which the

designated person reports. For example, the diary day of a

designated person interviewed on Tuesday is Monday.

Employment status

 • Employed. All persons who, at any time during the 7 days

 prior to the interview:

 1) Did any work at all as paid employees; worked in

their own business, profession, or on their own farm;

or usually worked 15 hours or more as unpaid workers

in a family-operated enterprise; and

 2) All those who were not working but had jobs or

businesses from which they were temporarily absent

due to illness, bad weather, vacation, childcare

problems, labor-management dispute, maternity or

paternity leave, job training, or other family or personal
reasons, whether or not they were paid for the time off

or were seeking other jobs.

• Employed full time. Full-time workers are those who

usually worked 35 hours or more per week at all jobs

combined.

• Employed part time. Part-time workers are those who

usuallyworked fewer than 35 hours per week at all jobs

combined.

• Not employed. Persons are not employed if they do not

meet the conditions for employment. The not employed

include those classified as unemployed as well as those

classified as not in the labor force (using CPS definitions).

The numbers of employed and not employed persons in this

report do not correspond to published totals from the CPS for

several reasons. First, the reference population for the ATUS

is 15 years and older, whereas it is 16 years and older for the

CPS. Second, ATUS data are collected continuously, the

employment reference period being the 7 days prior to the

interview. By contrast, CPS data are always collected during the

week including the 19th of the month and refer to employment

during the week containing the 12th of the month. Third, ATUS

response rates in 2003 were slightly higher for employed than

for non-employed designated persons, and this difference is

not accounted for by weighting. Finally, the CPS accepts

answers from household members about other household

members, whereas such proxy responses are not allowed in the

ATUS. One consequence of the difference in proxy reporting

is that a significantly higher proportion of teenagers report

employment in the ATUS than in the CPS. While the information

on employment from the ATUS is useful for assessing work in

the context of other daily activities, the employment data are not

intended for analysis of current employment trends. Compared

to the CPS and other estimates of employment, the ATUS

estimates are based on a much smaller sample and are only

available with a substantial lag. Moreover, because the ATUS

has only been in operation since the beginning of 2003, there

is insufficient data for time series analysis.

Household children. Household children are children under

age 18 residing in the household of the ATUS respondent. The

children may be related to the respondent (such as their own

children, grandchildren, nieces or nephews, or brothers or

sisters) or not related (such as foster children or children of

roommates). For secondary childcare calculations, respondents

are asked about care for household children under age 13.

Primary activity. A primary activity is the main activity a

respondent was doing at a specified time. With the exception

of secondary childcare in table 8, the estimates presented in this

release reflect time spent in primary activities only.

Secondary/simultaneous activities. A secondary activity is

an activity done at the same time as a primary activity. With the

exception of the care of children under age 13, information on

secondary activities is not systematically collected in the ATUS.

Secondary childcare. Secondary childcare is care for

children under age 13 that is done while doing something else,

such as cooking dinner. Secondary childcare estimates are

derived by summing the durations of activities during which

respondents had a household child or their own non-household

child under age 13 in their care while doing other things.

Secondary childcare time is further restricted to the time

between when the first household child under age 13 woke up

and the last household child under age 13 went to bed. It is also

restricted to times the respondent was awake. If respondents

report providing both primary and secondary care at the same

time, the time is attributed to primary care only.

Weekday, weekend, and holiday estimates. Estimates for

weekdays are an average of reports about Monday through

Friday. Estimates for weekend days and holidays are an average

of reports about Saturdays, Sundays, and the following

holidays: New Year’s Day, Easter, Memorial Day, the Fourth of

July, and Labor Day. In 2003, data were not collected about

Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day.

Major activity category definitions

The following definitions describe the activity categories

shown in this report. All major time-use categories in the tables

include related travel time and waiting time. For example, time

spent “driving to the stadium” and time spent “waiting to get

into the stadium to play ball” are included in Participating in

sports under Leisure and sports.

Personal care activities. Personal care activities include

sleeping, bathing, dressing, health-related self-care, and

personal or private activities. Receiving unpaid personal care

from others (for example, “my sister put polish on my nails”) is

also captured in this category. Respondents are not asked who

they were with or where they were for personal care activities,

as such information can be sensitive.

Eating and drinking. All time spent eating or drinking

(except when identified by the respondent as part of a work or

volunteer activity), whether alone, with others, at home, at a

place of purchase, in transit, or somewhere else, is classified

here. Time spent purchasing or talking related to purchasing

meals, snacks, or beverages is not counted as part of this

category; time spent doing these activities is counted in

Purchasing goods and services.

Household activities. Household activities are those done

by respondents to maintain their households. These include

housework; cooking; yard care; pet care; vehicle maintenance

and repair; and home maintenance, repair, decoration, and

renovation. Food preparation, whether or not reported as done

specifically for another household member, is always classified

as a household activity, unless the respondent identified it as
a volunteer, work, or income-generating activity. For example,

“making breakfast for my son” is coded as a household activity,

not as childcare. Household management and organizational

activities—such as filling out paperwork, balancing a checkbook,

or planning a party—also are included in this category.

Purchasing goods and services. This category includes the

purchase of consumer goods as well as the purchase or use of

professional and personal care services, household services,

and government services. Most purchases and rentals of

consumer goods, regardless of mode or place of purchase or

rental (in person, via telephone, over the Internet, at home, or

in a store) are classified in this category. Gasoline, grocery,

other food purchases, and all other shopping are further broken

out in subcategories.

Time spent obtaining, receiving, and purchasing professional and personal care services provided by someone else

also is classified in this category. Professional services include

childcare, financial services and banking, legal services, medical

and adult care services, real estate services, and veterinary

services. Personal care services include day spas, hair salons

and barbershops, nail salons, and tanning salons. Activities

classified here include time respondents spent paying, meeting

with, or talking to service providers, as well as time spent

receiving the service or waiting to receive the service.

Time spent arranging for and purchasing household services

provided by someone else also is classified here. Household

services include housecleaning; cooking; lawn care and

landscaping; pet care; tailoring, laundering, and dry cleaning;

vehicle maintenance and repairs; and home repairs,

maintenance, and construction.

This category also captures the time spent obtaining

government services—such as applying for food stamps—and

purchasing government-required licenses or paying fines or fees.

Caring for and helping household members. Time spent

doing activities to care for or help any child or adult in the

respondent’s household, regardless of relationship to the

respondent or the physical or mental health status of the person

being helped, are classified here. Caring for and helping

activities for household children and adults are coded

separately in subcategories. Household members are

considered children if they are under age 18.

Primary childcare activities include physical care; playing

with children; reading to children; assistance with homework;

attending children’s events; taking care of children’s health care

needs; and dropping off, picking up, and waiting for children.

Passive childcare done as a primary activity (such as “keeping

an eye on my son while he swam in the pool”) also is included.

A child’s presence during the respondent’s activity is not

enough in itself to classify the activity as childcare. For

example, “watching television with my child” is coded as a

leisure activity, not as childcare.

Secondary childcare is care for children that is done while

doing something else. For a complete definition, see the

Concepts and definitions section of this Technical Note.

Caring for and helping household members also includes a

range of activities done to benefit adult members of households,

such as providing physical and medical care or obtaining

medical services. Doing something as a favor for or helping

another household adult does not automatically result in

classification as a helping activity. For example, a report of

“helping my wife cook dinner” is considered a household

activity (food preparation), not a helping activity, because

cooking dinner benefits the household as a whole. By contrast,

doing paperwork for another person usually benefits the

individual, so a report of “filling out an insurance application

for my husband” is considered a helping activity.

Caring for and helping non-household members. Activities

done to care for and help any child or adult who is not part of

the respondent’s household, regardless of the relationship to

the respondent or the physical or mental health status of the

person being helped, are classified here. Caring for and helping

activities for non-household children and adults are coded

separately in subcategories. Non-household members are

considered children if they are under age 18. When done for

or through an organization, time spent helping non-household

individuals is classified as volunteering rather than as helping

non-household members. Non-household childcare, even when

done as a favor or helping activity for another adult, is always

classified as non-household childcare, not as helping another

adult.

Working and work-related activities. This category

includes time spent working, doing activities as part of one’s

job, engaging in income-generating activities (not as part of

one’s job), and job search activities. “Working” includes hours

spent doing the specific tasks required of one’s main or other

job, regardless of location or time of day. Activities done

outside of regular work hours are classified as work if identified

by respondents as part of their jobs. “Work-related activities”

include activities that are not obviously work but are identified

by the respondent as being done as part of one’s job, such as

having a business lunch or playing golf with clients. “Other

income-generating activities” are those done “on the side” or

under informal arrangement and are not part of the respondent’s

regular job. Such activities might include selling homemade

crafts, babysitting, maintaining a rental property, or having a

yard sale. Respondents identify these activities as ones they

“are paid for or will be paid for.”

Travel time related to working and work-related activities

includes time spent commuting to and from one’s job, as well

as time spent traveling for work-related, income-generating, and

job search activities.

Educational activities. Educational activities include taking

classes (including Internet and other distance-learning
courses); doing research and homework; and taking care of

administrative tasks, such as registering for classes or obtaining

a school ID. For high school students, before- and after-school

extracurricular activities (except sports) also are classified as

educational activities. Activities are classified separately by

whether the educational activity was for a degree or for personal

interest. Educational activities do not include time spent for

classes or training that respondents identified as part of their

jobs. Time spent helping others with their education-related

activities is classified in the Caring for and helping categories.

Organizational, civic, and religious activities. This

category captures time spent volunteering for or through an

organization, performing civic obligations, and participating in

religious and spiritual activities. Civic obligations include

government-required duties, such as serving jury duty or

appearing in court, and activities that assist or influence

government processes, such as voting or attending town hall

meetings. Religious activities include those normally

associated with membership in or identification with specific

religions or denominations, such as attending religious

services; participating in choirs, youth groups, orchestras, or

unpaid teaching (unless identified as volunteer activities); and

engaging in personal religious practices, such as praying.

Leisure and sports. The leisure and sports category includes

sports, exercise, and recreation; socializing and communicating;

and other leisure activities. Socializing and communicating

includes face-to-face social communication and hosting or

attending social functions. Leisure activities include watching

television; reading; relaxing or thinking; playing computer, board,

or card games; using a computer or the Internet for personal

interest; playing or listening to music; and other activities, such

as attending arts, cultural, and entertainment events.

Telephone calls, mail, and e-mail. This category captures

telephone communication and handling household or personal

mail or e-mail. Telephone and Internet purchases are classified

in Purchasing goods and services. Telephone calls, mail, or email identified as related to work or volunteering are classified

as work or volunteering.

Other activities, not elsewhere classified. This residual

category includes security procedures related to traveling,

traveling not associated with a specific activity category,

ambiguous activities that could not be coded, and missing

activities. Missing activities result when respondents did not

remember what they did for a period of time, or when they

considered an activity too private or personal to report.

Processing and estimation

After ATUS data are collected, they go through an editing

and imputation procedure. Responses to CPS questions that

are reasked in ATUS go through the regular CPS edit and

imputation procedures. Some item nonresponses for questions

unique to ATUS (such as where an activity took place or how

much time was spent doing secondary childcare) also are

imputed. Missing activities and missing values for who was

present during an activity are never imputed.

There are two sets of weights on the monthly ATUS data

files. Benchmark weights are used to ensure that population

totals for selected subpopulations match totals for the same

month from the CPS. This benchmarking step accounts for

differences in noninterview rates between these groups.

Final weights are used to ensure that weekdays represent

about 5/7 of the week and that Saturdays and Sundays each

represent about 1/7. The actual proportions depend on the

number of weekdays, Saturdays, and Sundays in a given month.

The sum of the final weights is equal to the number of persondays in the month.

Reliability of the estimates

Statistics based on the ATUS are subject to both sampling

and nonsampling error. When a sample, rather than the entire

population, is surveyed, there is a chance that the sample

estimates may differ from the “true” population values they

represent. The exact difference, or sampling error, varies

depending on the particular sample selected, and this variability

is measured by the standard error of the estimate. There is

about a 90-percent chance, or level of confidence, that an

estimate based on a sample will differ by no more than 1.6

standard errors from the “true” population value because of

sampling error. BLS analyses are generally conducted at the

90-percent level of confidence.

The ATUS data also are affected by nonsampling error.

Nonsampling error can occur for many reasons, including the

failure to sample a segment of the population, inability to obtain

information for all respondents in the sample, inability or

unwillingness of respondents to provide correct information,

and errors made in the collection or processing of the data. Errors

also could occur if nonresponse is correlated with time use.
Table 1. Average hours per day spent in primary activities 1 for the total population and for persons reporting the act

the diary day by activity category and sex, 2003 annual averages

Activity

Hours per day, total population Percent of population reporting the activity on the diary day Hours per day, persons 

the activity on the di

Total Men Women Total Men Women Total Men 

Total, all activities 2 ......................................................... 24.00 24.00 24.00 - - - - - 

 Personal care activities ................................................. 9.34 9.13 9.54 99.9 99.9 100.0 9.34 9.13  Sleeping ..................................................................... 8.57 8.48 8.65 99.9 99.8 99.9 8.58 8.49  Eating and drinking ....................................................... 1.21 1.24 1.18 91.5 91.5 91.4 1.32 1.36  Household activities ...................................................... 1.83 1.33 2.30 73.5 62.5 83.7 2.50 2.13  Housework ................................................................. 0.62 0.23 0.98 37.7 19.5 54.6 1.64 1.16  Food preparation and cleanup ................................... 0.53 0.25 0.79 50.7 34.6 65.6 1.05 0.73  Lawn and garden care ............................................... 0.20 0.26 0.14 10.2 11.7 8.9 1.95 2.25  Household management ........................................... 0.13 0.11 0.15 15.6 12.9 18.0 0.85 0.85  Purchasing goods and services .................................... 0.81 0.68 0.94 46.1 42.0 49.9 1.77 1.63  Consumer goods purchases ...................................... 0.40 0.32 0.48 41.4 37.5 45.1 0.97 0.85  Professional and personal care services ................... 0.09 0.07 0.11 9.5 7.1 11.7 0.99 1.01  Caring for and helping household members ................. 0.55 0.34 0.75 26.6 20.4 32.4 2.07 1.65  Caring for and helping household children ................ 0.42 0.24 0.58 21.6 15.7 27.1 1.93 1.53  Caring for and helping non-household members ......... 0.29 0.26 0.31 15.7 13.5 17.8 1.82 1.94  Caring for and helping non-household adults ............ 0.11 0.11 0.10 10.5 9.9 11.0 1.02 1.16  Working and work-related activities .............................. 3.69 4.57 2.87 46.0 53.8 38.7 8.02 8.49  Working ...................................................................... 3.32 4.09 2.60 43.9 51.3 37.0 7.57 7.99  Educational activities .................................................... 0.47 0.45 0.50 8.3 7.6 9.0 5.68 5.93  Attending class .......................................................... 0.29 0.28 0.29 5.6 5.2 6.0 5.11 5.43  Homework and research ........................................... 0.14 0.12 0.15 5.4 4.6 6.1 2.50 2.54  Organizational, civic, and religious activities ................ 0.32 0.29 0.35 13.2 11.0 15.2 2.43 2.63  Religious and spiritual activities ................................. 0.14 0.12 0.16 8.1 6.5 9.6 1.75 1.83  Volunteering (organizational and civic activities) ....... 0.14 0.13 0.14 6.4 5.5 7.2 2.17 2.39  Leisure and sports ........................................................ 5.11 5.41 4.83 95.9 96.2 95.7 5.33 5.62  Socializing and communicating ................................. 0.78 0.72 0.83 40.1 35.7 44.2 1.94 2.02  Watching television .................................................... 2.57 2.75 2.41 78.7 80.1 77.4 3.27 3.43  Participating in sports, exercise, and recreation ........ 0.30 0.39 0.21 17.4 19.2 15.8 1.69 2.01  Telephone calls, mail, and e-mail ................................. 0.19 0.13 0.24 25.7 19.7 31.2 0.74 0.66  Other activities, not elsewhere classified ...................... 0.19 0.18 0.20 12.8 11.8 13.8 1.47 1.49 

 1 Primary activities are those respondents identify as their main activity. Other activities done simultaneously are not included. 2 All major activity categories include related travel time. See Technical Note for activity category definitions.

NOTE: Data refer to respondents 15 years and over.
Table 2. Average hours per day spent in primary activities 1 for the total population and for

persons reporting the activity on the diary day by activity category and weekdays and weekends,2003 annual averages

Activity

Hours per day, total

population

Percent of population

reporting the activity on

diary day

Hours per day, persons

reporting the activity on

the diary day

Weekdays

Weekends

and

holidays 2

Weekdays

Weekends

and

holidays 2

Weekdays

Weekends

and

holidays 2

Total, all activities 3 ......................................................... 24.00 24.00 - - - -

 Personal care activities ................................................. 9.04 10.04 99.9 100.0 9.05 10.04 Sleeping ..................................................................... 8.26 9.30 99.8 99.9 8.27 9.31 Eating and drinking ....................................................... 1.16 1.32 92.1 90.0 1.26 1.47 Household activities ...................................................... 1.69 2.18 73.0 74.7 2.31 2.92 Housework ................................................................. 0.57 0.73 36.4 40.7 1.56 1.80 Food preparation and cleanup ................................... 0.51 0.57 51.4 48.8 1.00 1.17 Lawn and garden care ............................................... 0.16 0.28 9.4 12.1 1.74 2.35 Household management ........................................... 0.13 0.13 15.9 14.7 0.82 0.92 Purchasing goods and services .................................... 0.76 0.95 45.6 47.4 1.66 2.01 Consumer goods purchases ...................................... 0.34 0.57 39.8 45.3 0.84 1.25 Professional and personal care services ................... 0.11 0.05 11.4 4.9 1.00 0.97 Caring for and helping household members ................. 0.59 0.46 28.2 22.7 2.08 2.03 Caring for and helping household children ................ 0.43 0.38 22.8 18.9 1.90 2.00 Caring for and helping non-household members ......... 0.28 0.30 15.5 16.2 1.81 1.85 Caring for and helping non-household adults ............ 0.10 0.13 10.1 11.3 0.98 1.11 Working and work-related activities .............................. 4.68 1.33 55.8 22.6 8.38 5.89 Working ...................................................................... 4.22 1.19 53.5 21.2 7.90 5.64 Educational activities .................................................... 0.61 0.14 9.9 4.6 6.20 3.09 Attending class .......................................................... 0.40 4 ( ) 7.8 4 ( ) 5.15 4 ( )

 Homework and research ........................................... 0.14 0.12 6.0 4.1 2.41 2.82 Organizational, civic, and religious activities ................ 0.22 0.55 10.5 19.4 2.11 2.85 Religious and spiritual activities ................................. 0.06 0.34 4.8 15.8 1.20 2.14 Volunteering (organizational and civic activities) ....... 0.14 0.14 6.5 6.1 2.13 2.26 Leisure and sports ........................................................ 4.59 6.35 95.5 97.0 4.80 6.54 Socializing and communicating ................................. 0.61 1.18 37.9 45.5 1.61 2.58 Watching television .................................................... 2.39 3.01 78.4 79.3 3.04 3.79 Participating in sports, exercise, and recreation ........ 0.26 0.37 17.7 16.8 1.48 2.22 Telephone calls, mail, and e-mail ................................. 0.20 0.16 28.0 20.1 0.72 0.80 Other activities, not elsewhere classified ...................... 0.18 0.20 12.9 12.8 1.41 1.59

 1 Primary activities are those respondents identify as their main activity. Other activities done simultaneously are not included. 2 Holidays are New Year’s Day, Easter, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. In 2003, data

were not collected about Thanksgiving Day or Christmas Day.

 3 All major activity categories include related travel time. See Technical Note for activity category definitions. 4 Data not shown where base is less than 800,000.

NOTE: Data refer to respondents 15 years and over.
Table 3. Average hours per day spent in primary activities 1 for the total population, by age, sex, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

educational attainment, 2003 annual averages

Characteristic

Hours per day spent in primary activities 2

Personal

care

activities

Eating and

drinking

Household

activities

Purchasing

goods and

services

Caring for

and

helping

household

members

Caring for

and

helping

nonhousehold

members

Working

and workrelated

activities

Educational activities

Organizational,

civic, and

religious

activities

Leisure

and sports

Tel

caland 

Total, 15 years and over ............................ 9.34 1.21 1.83 0.81 0.55 0.29 3.69 0.47 0.32 5.11 

 15 to 24 years ........................................ 9.95 0.96 0.82 0.69 0.27 0.32 2.65 2.20 0.26 5.46  25 to 34 years ........................................ 9.25 1.17 1.59 0.78 1.11 0.23 4.78 0.29 0.21 4.30  35 to 44 years ........................................ 9.07 1.16 1.99 0.82 1.05 0.19 4.81 0.10 0.34 4.20  45 to 54 years ........................................ 9.00 1.19 1.97 0.84 0.38 0.31 4.91 0.06 0.34 4.67  55 to 64 years ........................................ 9.13 1.35 2.28 0.90 0.15 0.40 3.70 3 ( ) 0.37 5.27 

 65 years and over ................................... 9.65 1.52 2.55 0.89 0.13 0.31 0.77 3 ( ) 0.44 7.16  Men, 15 years and over ............................ 9.13 1.24 1.33 0.68 0.34 0.26 4.57 0.45 0.29 5.41 

 15 to 24 years ........................................ 9.85 0.94 0.65 0.54 0.10 0.37 2.95 2.06 0.26 5.92  25 to 34 years ........................................ 8.93 1.21 1.10 0.70 0.58 0.24 5.95 3 ( ) 0.21 4.58 

 35 to 44 years ........................................ 8.82 1.19 1.40 0.67 0.68 0.17 5.84 3 ( ) 0.31 4.60  45 to 54 years ........................................ 8.76 1.22 1.45 0.66 0.27 0.23 5.93 3 ( ) 0.27 4.89  55 to 64 years ........................................ 8.93 1.40 1.79 0.68 0.09 0.27 4.64 3 ( ) 0.32 5.55  65 years and over ................................... 9.51 1.65 1.89 0.90 0.15 0.31 1.20 3 ( ) 0.41 7.52  Women, 15 years and over ....................... 9.54 1.18 2.30 0.94 0.75 0.31 2.87 0.50 0.35 4.83 

 15 to 24 years ........................................ 10.06 0.97 1.00 0.83 0.45 0.27 2.35 2.33 0.25 4.99 

 25 to 34 years ........................................ 9.55 1.12 2.08 0.86 1.64 0.22 3.62 0.31 0.22 4.03 

 35 to 44 years ........................................ 9.31 1.13 2.56 0.96 1.40 0.20 3.81 0.14 0.36 3.81  45 to 54 years ........................................ 9.23 1.16 2.48 1.01 0.47 0.40 3.92 3 ( ) 0.40 4.46 

 55 to 64 years ........................................ 9.31 1.30 2.71 1.10 0.21 0.52 2.88 3 ( ) 0.42 5.02  65 years and over ................................... 9.76 1.43 3.06 0.89 0.12 0.31 0.43 3 ( ) 0.46 6.88  White, 15 years and over .......................... 9.27 1.26 1.93 0.83 0.54 0.28 3.72 0.42 0.30 5.07 

 Men ...................................................... 9.08 1.29 1.40 0.70 0.33 0.24 4.66 0.41 0.26 5.32  Women ................................................. 9.45 1.23 2.43 0.96 0.74 0.31 2.83 0.44 0.33 4.83  Black or African American, 15 years

and over ........................................... 9.83 0.81 1.30 0.70 0.54 0.37 3.31 0.66 0.51 5.55 

 Men ...................................................... 9.41 0.84 0.93 0.56 0.30 0.43 3.88 3 ( ) 0.57 6.13 

 Women ................................................. 10.17 0.79 1.59 0.82 0.72 0.32 2.86 0.68 0.47 5.09 

 Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, 15 years

and over ........................................... 9.70 1.12 1.82 0.81 0.72 0.21 3.66 0.57 0.23 4.85 

 Men ...................................................... 9.64 1.15 1.02 0.71 0.42 0.21 4.55 3 ( ) 0.21 5.28 

 Women ................................................. 9.77 1.08 2.67 0.91 1.02 0.22 2.74 0.63 0.25 4.41 

See footnotes at end of table.
Table 3. Average hours per day spent in primary activities 1 for the total population, by age, sex, race, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

educational attainment, 2003 annual averages — Continued

Characteristic

Hours per day spent in primary activities 2

Personal

care

activities

Eating and

drinking

Household

activities

Purchasing

goods and

services

Caring for

and

helping

household

members

Caring for

and

helping

nonhousehold

members

Working

and workrelated

activities

Educational activities

Organizational,

civic, and

religious

activities

Leisure

and sports

Tel

caland 

 Educational attainment, 25 years and over:

Less than high school ........................... 9.89 1.09 2.25 0.70 0.45 0.27 2.46 3 ( ) 0.26 6.29 

High school diploma 4 ........................... 9.25 1.22 2.24 0.81 0.52 0.30 3.65 3 ( ) 0.30 5.36 Less than a bachelor’s degree ............... 9.13 1.24 2.00 0.85 0.65 0.32 4.11 0.18 0.34 4.78 

Bachelor’s degree or higher 5 ................. 8.90 1.41 1.78 0.93 0.75 0.22 4.72 0.14 0.41 4.29 

 1 Primary activities are those respondents identify as their main activity. Other activities done simultaneously are not included. 2 All major activity categories include related travel time. See Technical Note for activity category definitions.

3 Data not shown where base is less than 800,000.

 4 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent. 5 Includes persons with bachelor’s, master’s, professional, and doctoral degrees.

NOTE: Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race, and, therefore, are classified by ethnicity as well as by race.
Table 4. Average hours worked per day by employed persons on weekdays and weekend days by selected characteristics, 2003 a

(Numbers in thousands)

Characteristic

Employed persons

Total

employed

Worked on an average day Worked on an average weekday Worked on an 

Sunday

Number Percent Hours per day 2 Number 3 Percent Hours per day 2 Number 4 P

Full- and part-time status and sex

Total, 15 years and over 5 ............................................. c145,466 98,069 67.4 7.59 c119,249 82.0 7.92 c47,602  Full-time workers ....................................................... c112,347 80,033 71.2 8.09 c98,589 87.8 8.46 c36,813  Part-time workers ...................................................... 33,120 18,035 54.5 5.40 20,848 62.9 5.45 10,785  Men 5 ........................................................................ c78,092 55,288 70.8 8.01 c66,577 85.3 8.37 c28,354  Full-time workers ....................................................... c66,243 48,534 73.3 8.33 c59,205 89.4 8.72 c23,798  Part-time workers ...................................................... 11,848 6,754 57.0 5.74 7,519 63.5 5.77 4,594  Women 5 .................................................................... 67,374 42,781 63.5 7.06 52,670 78.2 7.34 19,254  Full-time workers ....................................................... 46,103 31,500 68.3 7.72 39,388 85.4 8.06 12,998  Part-time workers ...................................................... 21,271 11,281 53.0 5.19 13,326 62.6 5.27 6,262 

Multiple jobholding status

Single jobholders ......................................................... c131,462 86,928 66.1 7.57 c106,949 81.4 7.88 c39,161 Multiple jobholders ....................................................... 14,005 11,141 79.6 7.79 12,303 87.8 8.27 8,406 

Class of worker

Wage and salary workers .............................................. c134,212 c90,002 67.1 7.67 c110,096 82.0 c8.00 c42,574 Self-employed workers ................................................. c11,084 c7,970 c71.9 c6.80 c9,048 81.6 7.07 c5,100 

Educational attainment, 25 years and over

Less than high school ................................................... 10,830 7,116 65.7 7.71 9,018 83.3 7.89 3,040 High school diploma 6 ................................................... 38,089 25,623 67.3 7.89 31,379 82.4 8.12 11,375 Less than a bachelor’s degree ....................................... c32,748 22,338 68.2 7.69 c27,810 c84.9 7.95 c9,827 Bachelor’s degree or higher 7 ......................................... 41,004 29,725 72.5 7.50 35,959 87.7 8.07 14,776 

 1 Holidays are New Year’s Day, Easter, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. In 2003, data were not collected about Th

Christmas Day.

 2 Includes work at main and other job(s), and excludes travel related to work. 3 Number was derived by multiplying the "Total employed" by the percent of employed persons who worked on an average weekday. 4 Number was derived by multiplying the "Total employed" by the percent of employed persons who worked on an average Saturday, Sunday, and holiday. 5 Includes workers whose hours vary. 6 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent. 7 Includes persons with bachelor’s, master’s, professional, and doctoral degrees.

NOTE: Unless otherwise specified, data refer to persons 15 years and over.

c=corrected
Table 5. Average hours worked per day by employed persons at workplace or home by selected characteristics, 2003 annual aver

(Numbers in thousands)

Characteristic Total employed

Employed persons who reported working on the diary day 1

Number Percent Hours of work

Location of work 2

Persons who reported working at

workplace on diary day

Persons who rep

on the 

Number Percent

Hours of

work at

workplace

Number P

Full- and part-time status and sex

Total, 15 years and over 4 ............................................. c145,466 98,069 67.4 7.59 85,368 87.0 7.83 18,560  Full-time workers ....................................................... c112,347 80,033 71.2 8.09 71,061 88.8 8.22 14,668  Part-time workers ...................................................... 33,120 18,035 54.5 5.40 14,307 79.3 5.86 3,892  Men 4 ........................................................................ c78,092 55,288 70.8 8.01 48,761 88.2 8.21 10,277  Full-time workers ....................................................... c66,243 48,534 73.3 8.33 43,421 89.5 8.45 8,927  Part-time workers ...................................................... 11,848 6,754 57.0 5.74 5,340 79.1 6.29 1,349  Women 4 .................................................................... 67,374 42,781 63.5 7.06 36,607 85.6 7.31 8,283  Full-time workers ....................................................... 46,103 31,500 68.3 7.72 27,640 87.7 7.87 5,741  Part-time workers ...................................................... 21,271 11,281 53.0 5.19 8,967 79.5 5.60 2,543 

Multiple jobholding status

Single jobholders ......................................................... c131,462 86,928 66.1 7.57 76,295 87.8 7.83 14,819 Multiple jobholders ....................................................... 14,005 11,141 79.6 7.79 9,073 81.4 7.78 3,741 

Class of worker

Wage and salary workers .............................................. c134,212 c90,002 67.1 7.67 c80,463 89.4 c7.87 c14,480 Self-employed workers ................................................. c11,084 c7,970 c71.9 c6.80 c4,868 c61.1 c7.20 c4,034 

Educational attainment, 25 years and over

Less than high school ................................................... 10,830 7,116 65.7 7.71 6,531 91.8 7.80 660 High school diploma 5 ................................................... 38,089 25,623 67.3 7.89 23,201 90.5 7.90 3,284 Less than a bachelor’s degree ....................................... c32,748 22,338 68.2 7.69 19,516 87.4 7.92 4,215 Bachelor’s degree or higher 6 ......................................... 41,004 29,725 72.5 7.50 23,796 80.1 7.98 9,656 

 1 Includes work at main and other job(s) and at locations other than home or workplace. Excludes travel related to work. 2 Respondents can report working at more than one location during the diary day. 3 "Working at home" includes any time the respondent reported doing activities that were identified as "part of one’s job," and is not restricted to persons whose usual wo 4 Includes workers whose hours vary. 5 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent. 6 Includes persons with bachelor’s, master’s, professional, and doctoral degrees. 7 Data not shown where base is less than 800,000.

NOTE: Unless otherwise specified, data refer to respondents 15 years and over.

c=corrected
Table 6. Average hours per day spent in primary activities 1 for the population 18 years and over, by sex, labor force status, and p

children, 2003 annual averages

Characteristic

Hours per day spent in primary activities 2

Personal

care

activities

Eating and

drinking

Household

activities

Purchasing

goods and

services

Caring for

and helping

household

members

Caring for

and helping

nonhousehold

members

Working and

work-related

activities

Educational

activities

Organizational, civic,

and religious

activities

Lei

Total, 18 years and over ............ 9.29 1.23 1.92 0.83 0.58 0.29 3.86 0.26 0.32 

 No household children under 18 ............... 9.36 1.31 1.89 0.83 0.08 0.35 3.60 0.25 0.31  Household children under 18 .................... 9.17 1.10 1.96 0.83 1.37 0.19 4.27 0.28 0.34  Household children 6-17, none younger .. 9.20 1.10 1.94 0.83 0.82 0.22 4.42 0.36 0.41  Household children under 6 ................... 9.14 1.10 1.99 0.82 2.08 0.16 4.08 0.18 0.26 Men ....................................................... 9.05 1.27 1.39 0.70 0.35 0.27 4.81 0.25 0.29  No household children under 18 ............... 9.13 1.35 1.42 0.72 0.07 0.32 4.29 0.25 0.27  Household children under 18 .................... 8.90 1.12 1.34 0.67 0.86 0.18 5.70 0.25 0.32  Household children 6-17, none younger .. 8.99 1.09 1.35 0.66 0.54 0.19 5.49 0.34 0.39  Household children under 6 ................... 8.78 1.16 1.32 0.68 1.27 0.17 5.98 3 ( ) 0.23 

Women ................................................... 9.50 1.20 2.41 0.95 0.78 0.31 2.98 0.28 0.35 

 No household children under 18 ............... 9.58 1.28 2.36 0.94 0.09 0.39 2.91 0.25 0.35  Household children under 18 .................... 9.39 1.09 2.48 0.96 1.80 0.20 3.08 0.31 0.36  Household children 6-17, none younger .. 9.37 1.11 2.43 0.99 1.06 0.25 3.52 0.38 0.43  Household children under 6 ................... 9.43 1.06 2.54 0.93 2.73 0.15 2.54 0.23 0.28 

Employed, 18 years and over ........ 9.01 1.21 1.53 0.77 0.55 0.26 5.72 0.19 0.27 

 No household children under 18 ............... 9.04 1.27 1.46 0.77 0.06 0.31 5.80 0.21 0.24  Household children under 18 .................... 8.97 1.12 1.61 0.77 1.19 0.18 5.61 0.18 0.31  Household children 6-17, none younger .. 9.01 1.12 1.67 0.78 0.76 0.20 c5.62 0.23 0.37  Household children under 6 ................... 8.91 1.12 1.54 0.76 1.78 0.16 5.59 0.11 0.23 Men ....................................................... 8.78 1.23 1.18 0.64 0.39 0.25 6.36 0.18 0.25  No household children under 18 ............... 8.83 1.30 1.16 0.64 0.04 0.30 6.26 0.18 0.21  Household children under 18 .................... 8.72 1.14 1.22 0.65 c0.86 0.17 6.49 0.17 0.31  Household children 6-17, none younger .. 8.77 1.11 1.25 0.64 0.51 0.18 6.41 3 ( ) c0.37 

 Household children under 6 ................... 8.66 1.18 1.17 0.66 1.28 0.15 6.59 3 ( ) 0.24 Women ................................................... 9.28 1.17 1.93 0.92 0.74 0.27 4.97 0.21 0.30 

 No household children under 18 ............... 9.30 1.23 1.83 0.93 0.08 0.32 5.24 0.24 0.29  Household children under 18 .................... 9.25 1.10 2.05 0.91 1.56 0.20 4.64 0.19 0.32  Household children 6-17, none younger .. 9.26 1.13 2.08 0.92 1.01 0.23 4.84 0.22 0.37  Household children under 6 ................... 9.23 1.06 2.00 0.90 2.42 0.16 4.34 3 ( ) 0.23 

See footnotes at end of table.
Table 6. Average hours per day spent in primary activities 1 for the population 18 years and over, by sex, labor force status, and p

children, 2003 annual averages — Continued

Characteristic

Hours per day spent in primary activities 2

Personal

care

activities

Eating and

drinking

Household

activities

Purchasing

goods and

services

Caring for

and helping

household

members

Caring for

and helping

nonhousehold

members

Working and

work-related

activities

Educational

activities

Organizational, civic,

and religious

activities

Lei

Not employed, 18 years and over ..... 9.83 1.28 2.69 0.95 0.63 0.36 0.17 0.40 0.42 

 No household children under 18 ............... 9.85 1.38 2.56 0.93 0.11 0.41 0.16 0.32 0.41  Household children under 18 .................... 9.78 1.04 3.01 0.99 1.93 0.22 0.21 0.60 0.43  Household children 6-17, none younger .. 9.83 1.04 2.88 1.02 c1.04 0.28 3 ( ) 0.82 0.53 

 Household children under 6 ................... 9.73 1.05 3.15 0.95 2.83 0.17 3 ( ) 3 ( ) 0.33 

Men ....................................................... 9.83 1.37 1.98 0.87 0.26 0.33 0.28 0.45 0.39 

 No household children under 18 ............... 9.76 1.45 1.95 0.90 0.12 0.34 3 ( ) 3 ( ) 0.40 

 Household children under 18 .................... 10.11 1.01 c2.13 0.76 c0.86 3 ( ) 3 ( ) 3 ( ) c0.36  Household children 6-17, none younger .. 10.24 1.00 1.90 0.73 c0.67 3 ( ) 3 ( ) 3 ( ) 3 ( )  Household children under 6 ................... 9.85 1.04 2.57 3 ( ) 1.23 3 ( ) 3 ( ) 3 ( ) 3 ( ) Women ................................................... 9.83 1.23 3.10 0.99 0.84 0.37 0.11 0.36 0.43 

 No household children under 18 ............... 9.91 1.32 3.00 0.96 0.11 0.46 3 ( ) 3 ( ) 0.42 

 Household children under 18 .................... 9.68 1.05 3.29 1.06 2.26 0.21 3 ( ) 0.55 0.45 

 Household children 6-17, none younger .. 9.64 1.05 3.33 1.15 1.21 0.29 3 ( ) 3 ( ) 0.58 

 Household children under 6 ................... 9.71 1.06 3.26 0.98 3.14 0.14 3 ( ) 3 ( ) 0.35 

 1 Primary activities are those respondents identify as their main activity. Other activities done simultaneously are not included. 2 All activity categories include related travel. See Technical Note for activity category definitions.

3 Data not shown where base is less than 800,000.

c=corrected
Table 7. Average hours per day spent by persons 18 years and over caring for household children

under 18 years, by sex of respondent and age of youngest household child, 2003 annual averages

Childcare activities

Hours per day spent caring for household children

Total Men Women

Persons in households with children under 18, total

Caring for household children as a primary activity ................................ 1.31 0.81 1.73

Physical care ........................................................................................ 0.47 0.22 0.69Education-related activities ................................................................... 0.10 0.06 0.13Reading to/with children ....................................................................... 0.03 0.02 0.05Talking to/with children ......................................................................... 0.05 0.02 0.06Playing/doing hobbies with children ..................................................... 0.24 0.21 0.25Looking after children ........................................................................... 0.06 0.05 0.08Attending children’s events ................................................................... 0.05 0.04 0.07Travel related to care of household children ........................................ 0.17 0.11 0.22Other childcare activities ...................................................................... 0.13 0.07 0.19Persons in households with youngest child 6 to 17 years

Caring for household children as a primary activity ............................ 0.75 0.49 0.98

Physical care .................................................................................... 0.17 0.08 0.24Education-related activities ............................................................... 0.11 0.07 0.14Reading to/with children ................................................................... 0.01 1 ( ) 0.02

Talking to/with children ..................................................................... 0.06 0.03 0.08Playing/doing hobbies with children ................................................. 0.05 0.06 0.04Looking after children ....................................................................... 0.03 1 ( ) 0.04Attending children’s events ............................................................... 0.07 1 ( ) 0.07Travel related to care of household children .................................... 0.16 0.11 0.21Other childcare activities .................................................................. 0.10 0.06 0.14

Persons in households with youngest child under 6

Caring for household children as a primary activity ............................ 2.02 1.22 2.68

Physical care .................................................................................... 0.87 0.41 1.24Education-related activities ............................................................... 0.09 1 ( ) 0.11Reading to/with children ................................................................... 0.06 0.03 0.08Talking to/with children ..................................................................... 0.03 1 ( ) 0.04Playing/doing hobbies with children ................................................. 0.47 0.41 0.52Looking after children ....................................................................... 0.11 0.09 0.13Attending children’s events ............................................................... 0.04 1 ( ) 0.05Travel related to care of household children .................................... 0.18 0.11 0.24Other childcare activities .................................................................. 0.18 0.07 0.26

1 Data not shown where base is less than 800,000.

NOTE: Universe includes respondents 18 years and over living in households with children under 18 years, even if they did not report doing

childcare on the diary day.
Table 8. Average hours per day spent by persons 18 years and over caring for household children under

13 as a secondary activity, by sex of respondent and age of youngest child, 2003 annual averages

Childcare activities 1

Hours per day spent caring for household children 2

Total Men Women

Persons in households with children under 13, total .............................................. 5.36 4.12 6.38

Caring for household children as a secondary activity in conjunction with:

Personal care activities ..................................................................................... 0.28 0.19 0.35Household activities .......................................................................................... 1.31 0.74 1.77Purchasing goods and services ........................................................................ 0.41 0.28 0.51Working and work-related activities .................................................................. 0.21 0.17 0.25Eating and drinking ........................................................................................... 0.62 0.53 0.69Leisure and sports ............................................................................................ 2.10 1.89 2.28Other activities .................................................................................................. 0.44 0.31 0.54Persons in households with children 6 to 12, total ........................................... 4.92 4.07 5.62

Caring for household children as a secondary activity in conjunction with:

Personal care activities ................................................................................. 0.27 0.19 0.34Household activities ...................................................................................... 1.13 0.71 1.47Purchasing goods and services .................................................................... 0.33 0.24 0.40Working and work-related activities .............................................................. 0.21 0.18 0.24Eating and drinking ....................................................................................... 0.53 0.48 0.57Leisure and sports ........................................................................................ 2.01 1.93 2.08Other activities .............................................................................................. 0.45 0.35 0.52

Persons in households with children under 6, total .......................................... 5.70 4.16 6.94

Caring for household children as a secondary activity in conjunction with:

Personal care activities ................................................................................. 0.28 0.20 0.35Household activities ...................................................................................... 1.44 0.77 1.99Purchasing goods and services .................................................................... 0.47 0.32 0.59Working and work-related activities .............................................................. 0.21 0.17 0.25Eating and drinking ....................................................................................... 0.69 0.57 0.78Leisure and sports ........................................................................................ 2.17 1.86 2.43Other activities .............................................................................................. 0.43 0.27 0.55

 1 All major activity categories include related travel time. See Technical Note for activity category definitions. 2 Secondary childcare time is defined as time one has a child under 13 "in his or her care" while doing something else as a main activity; information on

secondary childcare is not collected for children over 12 years. Estimates include a small amount of care provided to own, non-household children. NOTE: Universe includes all respondents 18 years and over living in households with children under 13 years, even if they did not report doing anychildcare on the diary day.
Table 9. Average hours per day spent in leisure and sports activities for the total population by selected characteristics, 2003 ann

Characteristic

Hours per day spent in leisure and sports activities

Total, all leisure and sports

activities

Participating in

sports, exercise,

and recreation

Socializing andcommunicating Watching TV Reading Relaxing/thinking

an

Total,

both

sexes

Men Women Men Women Men Women Men Women Men Women Men Women 

Age

Total, 15 years and over ............................ 5.11 5.41 4.83 0.39 0.21 0.72 0.83 2.75 2.41 0.33 0.40 0.34 0.32 

 15 to 24 years ....................................... 5.46 5.92 4.99 0.67 0.36 1.00 1.02 2.29 2.17 0.14 0.14 0.22 0.22  25 to 34 years ....................................... 4.30 4.58 4.03 0.37 0.22 0.72 0.83 2.33 2.01 0.14 0.18 0.24 0.24  35 to 44 years ....................................... 4.20 4.60 3.81 0.32 0.19 0.63 0.72 2.54 1.87 0.20 0.26 0.26 0.22  45 to 54 years ....................................... 4.67 4.89 4.46 0.27 0.18 0.60 0.83 2.65 2.26 0.30 0.34 0.38 0.30  55 to 64 years ....................................... 5.27 5.55 5.02 0.34 0.18 0.63 0.78 3.06 2.53 0.43 0.55 0.39 0.34  65 years and over .................................. 7.16 7.52 6.88 0.33 0.13 0.73 0.81 4.05 3.70 0.94 1.01 0.66 0.63 

Race and Hispanic or Latino

ethnicity

White ..................................................... 5.07 5.32 4.83 0.39 0.23 0.71 0.83 2.69 2.39 0.35 0.44 0.31 0.29 

Black or African American ......................... 5.55 6.13 5.09 0.32 0.12 0.77 0.84 3.35 2.72 0.19 0.18 0.58 0.56 Hispanic or Latino ethnicity ........................ 4.85 5.28 4.41 0.46 0.19 0.76 0.79 2.78 2.53 0.15 0.13 0.33 0.24 

Employment status

Employed ................................................ 4.23 4.53 3.89 0.35 0.21 0.65 0.74 2.26 1.83 0.23 0.28 0.28 0.23 

Employed full-time .................................... 4.06 4.33 3.66 0.32 0.19 0.64 0.67 2.21 1.76 0.21 0.26 0.28 0.23 Employed part-time .................................. 4.83 5.60 4.40 0.52 0.24 0.75 0.91 2.55 2.00 0.34 0.32 0.31 0.23 Not employed .......................................... 6.71 7.66 6.12 0.48 0.21 0.90 0.95 3.98 3.19 0.57 0.57 0.50 0.44 

Presence of children

No household children under 18 ................. 5.62 5.87 5.36 0.39 0.21 0.71 0.84 3.07 2.69 0.40 0.54 0.38 0.38 

Household children under 18 ..................... 4.35 4.64 4.10 0.39 0.20 0.74 0.82 2.21 2.02 0.20 0.21 0.28 0.23  Children 13 to 17 years, none younger ..... 4.77 5.14 4.45 0.47 0.22 0.78 0.84 2.26 2.18 0.28 0.29 0.30 0.26  Children 6 to 12 years, none younger ....... c4.45 4.76 c4.19 0.43 0.25 0.76 0.80 2.27 c2.02 0.19 0.23 0.27 0.22 

 Youngest child under 6 years .................. c4.01 4.23 c3.83 0.30 0.16 0.70 0.83 2.14 c1.92 0.15 0.14 0.27 0.23 

Educational attainment, 25 years

and over

Less than high school ............................... 6.29 6.75 5.87 0.32 0.11 0.76 0.85 3.94 3.47 0.29 0.35 0.79 0.65 

High school diploma 2 ............................... 5.36 5.52 5.21 0.32 0.13 0.68 0.84 3.19 2.81 0.25 0.45 0.41 0.41 Less than a bachelor’s degree ................... 4.78 5.08 4.53 0.26 0.17 0.63 0.76 2.70 2.28 0.37 0.44 0.31 0.27 Bachelor’s degree or higher 3 ..................... 4.29 4.56 4.01 0.38 0.28 0.62 0.74 2.11 1.66 0.52 0.54 0.18 0.17 

 1 Includes other leisure and sports activities, not elsewhere classified, and travel related to leisure and sports activities. 2 Includes persons with a high school diploma or equivalent. 3 Includes persons with bachelor’s, master’s, professional, and doctoral degrees.

 NOTE: Unless otherwise specified, data refer to respondents 15 years and over. Persons whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race and, there

well as by race.

c=corrected
Table 10. Average hours per day spent in primary activities 1 for the total population by

activity category, 2003 averages

(Not seasonally adjusted)

Activity

Quarterly averages Annual

average I II III IV

Total, all activities 2 ......................................................... 24.00 24.00 24.00 24.00 24.00

 Personal care activities ................................................. 9.39 9.27 9.35 9.35 9.34 Sleeping ..................................................................... 8.65 8.49 8.53 8.60 8.57 Eating and drinking ....................................................... 1.14 1.26 1.21 1.22 1.21 Household activities ...................................................... 1.73 1.91 1.89 1.81 1.83 Housework ................................................................. 0.63 0.60 0.61 0.63 0.62 Food preparation and cleanup ................................... 0.56 0.51 0.53 0.53 0.53 Lawn and garden care ............................................... 0.08 0.34 0.26 0.12 0.20 Household management ........................................... 0.12 0.13 0.13 0.15 0.13 Purchasing goods and services .................................... 0.76 0.82 0.82 0.85 0.81 Consumer purchases ................................................ 0.37 0.40 0.38 0.47 0.40 Professional and personal care services ................... 0.10 0.10 0.10 0.08 0.09 Caring for and helping household members ................. 0.56 0.52 0.52 0.60 0.55 Caring for and helping household children ................ 0.44 0.39 0.38 0.46 0.42 Caring for and helping non-household members ......... 0.24 0.31 0.31 0.29 0.29 Caring for and helping non-household adults ............ 0.09 0.12 0.11 0.10 0.11 Working and work-related activities .............................. 3.59 3.83 3.75 3.57 3.69 Working ...................................................................... 3.24 3.45 3.39 3.22 3.32 Educational activities .................................................... 0.56 0.43 0.32 0.59 0.47 Attending class .......................................................... 0.35 0.26 0.18 0.37 0.29 Homework and research ........................................... 0.15 0.12 0.10 0.17 0.14 Organizational, civic, and religious activities ................ 0.30 0.31 0.33 0.33 0.32 Religious and spiritual activities ................................. 0.14 0.13 0.15 0.14 0.14 Volunteering (organizational and civic activities) ....... 0.12 0.14 0.13 0.15 0.14 Leisure and sports ........................................................ 5.26 4.98 5.12 5.08 5.11 Socializing and communicating ................................. 0.71 0.83 0.85 0.73 0.78 Watching television .................................................... 2.85 2.39 2.40 2.63 2.57 Participating in sports, exercise, and recreation ........ 0.26 0.29 0.37 0.26 0.30 Telephone calls, mail, and e-mail ................................. 0.20 0.17 0.19 0.19 0.19 Other activities, not elsewhere classified ...................... 0.26 0.18 0.19 0.13 0.19

 1 Primary activities are those respondents identify as their main activity. Other activities done simultaneously are not included. 2 All major activity categories include related travel time. See Technical Note for activity category definitions.

NOTE: Data refer to respondents 15 years and over.