Time Use
CONTACT
Assistant Director
Time Use Survey
Family and Community Statistics Section
Australian Bureau of Statistics
Telephone (02) 6252 7030
Facsimile (02) 6252 8007
DESCRIPTION
This survey provides information on the daily activity patterns of people in Australia. It provides information about the differences between men and women in patterns of paid work and unpaid household and community work. The survey also provides information on care for children and frail, sick or disabled people. The nature of family interactions can be explored using Time Use data as activities can be classified by who was present while the activity was occurring.
The ABS uses data from the Time Use Survey to calculate the value of unpaid work. These estimates of the non-market sector of the economy, known as satellite accounts to the System of National Accounts, are based on domestic activities, child care, voluntary work and care activities, and purchasing goods and services.
SCOPE
All persons aged 15 years and over in private dwellings except certain diplomatic personnel of overseas governments, members of non-Australian defence forces (and their dependants) stationed in Australia and overseas residents visiting Australia. The survey is conducted in both urban and rural areas in all States and Territories, but since 1997 excludes persons living in some remote and sparsely settled parts of Australia.
DISSEMINATION
Publications
Time Use Survey, Australia - Users' Guide 1997 (cat. no. 4150.0)
Information Paper: Time Use Survey, Australia - Confidentialised Unit Record File 1997 (cat. no. 4151.0)
How Australians Use Their Time 1997 (cat. no. 4153.0)
Occasional Paper: Unpaid Work and the Australian Economy 1992 (cat. no. 5240.0).
A report which estimates the value of unpaid work for Australia in 1997 will be released in 2000.
Data Service
Customised unpublished data are available in a variety of formats.
Time Use Survey, Australia 1992 and 1997 - Confidentialised Unit Record File (cat. no. 4152.0).
Data Details
Data are available at person and household levels. Some family-related data items are stored at the household level (e.g. family type).
Demographic and Family Information
Age
Sex
Social marital status
Birthplace
Birthplace of parents
Year of arrival
First language spoken
Main language spoken at home
Family type
Sex/age of children in household
Number of families in household
Activity classification (a three-level hierarchy, around 200 types of activity at the finest level)
Major level
- Personal care activities
- Employment related activities
- Education activities
- Domestic activities
- Child care activities
- Purchasing goods and services
- Voluntary work and care activities
- Social and community interaction
- Recreation and leisure
Supplementary data from diaries
Communication/technology use during activity
Physical location (e.g. home, work)
Spatial location (indoors, outdoors, in transit)
Mode of transport
Person(s) with whom the activity was undertaken
Person(s) for whom the activity was undertaken
Other persons present during activity episode
- age
- relationship
- health status
Disability and assistance
Disability status
Area of personal activity causing difficulty (moderate limitation)
Area of personal activity requiring help or supervision (severe/profound limitation)
Type of assistance received because of disability and/or age
Whether principal carer of person living in household
Whether help provided to person not living in household
Relationship of carer to main recipient (not living in household)
Whether main provider of help to person living outside of household
Whether person in household with disability
Whether persons in household with severe/profound or moderate limitation in personal activity
Whether persons in household who receive assistance because of disability and/or age
Whether child with disability in household
Whether child in household receives more than usual assistance
Use of child care
Whether formal child care usually used
Whether informal child care usually used
Type of formal child care
Type of informal child care
Whether child care can be arranged at short notice
Other time use variables
Time pressure
Spare time
Household appliances
Use of household services
Other selected topics
Employment
Occupation
Income
Education
GEOGRAPHIC COVERAGE
Australia, some State data available.
FREQUENCY OF COLLECTION
Five-yearly. Latest survey 1997.
METHOD OF COLLECTION
Special Social Survey. The survey was conducted in four separate 13-day periods between January and November 1997. A sample of 4,600 households across Australia was used for the survey. Two types of survey instruments were used:
- Trained interviewers collected basic details about the household, general demographic and socioeconomic information as well as information on topics which help explain people's use of time.
- Household members aged 15 years and over (including visitors) used a diary to record all their activities over a 48-hour period.
HISTORICAL DATA
A Time Use Pilot Survey was conducted in 1987 based on a sample of 1,000 dwellings in the Sydney Statistical Division. The first national Time Use Survey was conducted in 1992. Data from the 1992 and 1997 surveys are broadly comparable.
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