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The Distribution of Total Work in the EU and US

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Author Info
Michael C. Burda () (Humboldt University of Berlin, CEPR and IZA Bonn)
Daniel S. Hamermesh () (University of Texas at Austin, NBER and IZA Bonn)
Philippe Weil () (Université Libre de Bruxelles (ECARES), Institut d’Études Politiques de Paris, CEPR and NBER)

Additional information is available for the following registered author(s):

Abstract

Using two time-diary data sets each for Germany, Italy the Netherlands and the U.S. from 1985-2003, we demonstrate that Americans work more than Europeans: 1) in the market; 2) in total (market and home production)-- there is no one-for-one tradeoff across countries in total work; 3) at unusual times of the day and on weekends. In addition, gender differences in total work within a given country are significantly smaller than variation across countries and time. We conclude that some of the transatlantic differences could reflect inferior equilibria that are generated by social norms and externalities. While an important outlet for total work, home production by females appears very sensitive to tax rates in the G-7 countries. We adapt the theory of home production to account for fixed costs of market work and adduce evidence that they, in contrast to other relative costs, vary significantly across countries.

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Publisher Info
Paper provided by Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA) in its series IZA Discussion Papers with number 2270.

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Length: 84 pages
Date of creation: Aug 2006
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Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp2270

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Related research
Keywords: time use; gender inequality; household production; hours of work;

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Find related papers by JEL classification:
J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Macroeconomics: Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution
D13 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Household Production and Intrahouse Allocation

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References listed on IDEAS
Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.:
  1. Edward C. Prescott, 2004. "Why do Americans work so much more than Europeans?," Quarterly Review, Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, issue Jul, pages 2-13. [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  2. Lindbeck, A & Nyberg, S & Weibull, J-W, 1997. "Social Norms and Economic Incentives in the Welfare State," Research Institute of Industrial Economics Working Papers 476, Research Institute of Industrial Economics (IFN).
    Other versions:
  3. Friedrich Schneider & Dominik H. Enste, 2000. "Shadow Economies: Size, Causes, and Consequences," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 38(1), pages 77-114, March. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  4. Stephen Nickell & Luca Nunziata & Wolfgang Ochel, 2005. "Unemployment in the OECD Since the 1960s. What Do We Know?," Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 115(500), pages 1-27, 01. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  5. Weiss, Yoram, 1996. "Synchronization of Work Schedules," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 37(1), pages 157-79, February.
  6. Rogerson, Richard, 1988. "Indivisible labor, lotteries and equilibrium," Journal of Monetary Economics, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 3-16, January. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  7. Young, H Peyton, 1996. "The Economics of Convention," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 10(2), pages 105-22, Spring. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
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Cited by:
(explanations, Please report citation or reference errors to , or , if you are the registered author of the cited work, log in to your RePEc Author Service profile, click on "citations" and make appropriate adjustments.)

  1. Pierre-André Chiappori & Murat Iyigun & Yoram Weiss, 2006. "Investment in Schooling and the Marriage Market," IZA Discussion Papers 2454, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
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  2. Jose Ignacio Gimenez Nadal & Almudena Sevilla Sanz, 2007. "A Note on Leisure Inequality in the US: 1965-2003," Economics Series Working Papers 374, University of Oxford, Department of Economics. [Downloadable!]
  3. L. Rachel Ngai & Christopher A. Pissarides, 2008. "Employment Outcomes in the Welfare State," CEP Discussion Papers dp0856, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE. [Downloadable!]
  4. Richard Rogerson, 2008. "Market Work, Home Work and Taxes: A Cross Country Analysis," NBER Working Papers 14400, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  5. José Ignacio Giménez & Miriam Marcén & José Alberto Molina, 2007. "How Does the Presence of Children Affect Dependent Care? A Psycho-Economic Approach," IZA Discussion Papers 2726, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  6. Matteo Cervellati & Joan Esteban & Laurence Kranich, 2006. "The Social Contract with Endogenous Sentiments," IZA Discussion Papers 2312, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
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  7. Jonathan Guryan & Erik Hurst & Melissa Schettini Kearney, 2008. "Parental Education and Parental Time With Children," NBER Working Papers 13993, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
    Other versions:
  8. Kristin Dale, 2009. "Household skills and low wages," Journal of Population Economics, Springer, vol. 22(4), pages 1025-1038, October. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  9. Daniel S. Hamermesh & Stephen Donald, 2007. "The Time and Timing Costs of Market Work," NBER Working Papers 13127, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc. [Downloadable!] (restricted)
  10. Dominique Anxo & Lennart Flood & Letizia Mencarini & Ariane Pailhé & Anne Solaz & Maria Letizia Tanturri, 2007. "Time Allocation between Work and Family over the Life-Cycle: A Comparative Gender Analysis of Italy, France, Sweden and the United States," IZA Discussion Papers 3193, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA). [Downloadable!]
  11. Ana Rute Cardoso & Daniel S. Hamermesh & José Varejão, 2008. "The Timing of Labor Demand," UFAE and IAE Working Papers 759.08, Unitat de Fonaments de l'Anàlisi Econòmica (UAB) and Institut d'Anàlisi Econòmica (CSIC). [Downloadable!]
    Other versions:
  12. Monika Engler & Stefan Staubli, 2008. "The Distribution of Leisure Time Across Countries and Over Time," University of St. Gallen Department of Economics working paper series 2008 2008-14, Department of Economics, University of St. Gallen. [Downloadable!]
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This page was last updated on 2009-11-16.

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