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Time to Eat: Household Production under Increasing Income Inequality

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  • Daniel S. Hamermesh

Abstract

Using time diaries and expenditure data for the United States for 1985 and 2003, I examine how income and time prices affect time and goods inputs into eating. Both inputs increase with income, and higher time prices reduce time inputs. Between 1985 and 2003 the goods intensity of eating increased, especially lower in the income distribution, and average time inputs dropped, particularly time spent shopping, preparing, and cleaning up after meals. The results are consistent with relatively difficult goods-time substitution in eating that becomes more difficult as household production expands. Copyright 2007, Oxford University Press.

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  • Daniel S. Hamermesh, 2007. "Time to Eat: Household Production under Increasing Income Inequality," American Journal of Agricultural Economics, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association, vol. 89(4), pages 852-863.
    • Handle: RePEc:oup:ajagec:v:89:y:2007:i:4:p:852-863
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1111/j.1467-8276.2007.01012.x
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    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • Q11 - Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics; Environmental and Ecological Economics - - Agriculture - - - Aggregate Supply and Demand Analysis; Prices

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    1. Papers and articles using the American Time Use Survey (ATUS)

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