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What Effects Do Macroeconomic Conditions Have on Families' Time Together?

Author

Listed:
  • Morrill, Melinda Sandler

    (North Carolina State University)

  • Pabilonia, Sabrina Wulff

    (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Abstract

We examine family time together using data from the 2003-2010 American Time Use Survey combined with Bureau of Labor Statistics data on state-level unemployment rates. Couple time together is U-shaped; while fathers spend more time engaging in enriching childcare activities without a spouse present as the unemployment rate rises. Patterns are similar for dual-earner couples, but appear concentrated among demographic groups most affected by recessions. We also find that mothers are less likely to work standard hours and more likely to work on weekends as employment crises deepen, which is consistent with both sets of results for family time together.

Suggested Citation

  • Morrill, Melinda Sandler & Pabilonia, Sabrina Wulff, 2012. "What Effects Do Macroeconomic Conditions Have on Families' Time Together?," IZA Discussion Papers 6529, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
  • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp6529
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Sabrina Wulff Pabilonia, 2014. "The Effects of the Great Recession on Teenagers’ Risky Health Behaviors and Time Use," Economic Working Papers 474, Bureau of Labor Statistics.
    2. Günseli Berik & Ebru Kongar, 2011. "Time Use of Mothers and Fathers in Hard Times and Better Times: the U.S. Business Cycle of 2003-2010," Working Paper Series, Department of Economics, University of Utah 2011_16, University of Utah, Department of Economics.
    3. Gunseli Berik & Ebru Kongar, 2012. "Time Use of Mothers and Fathers in Hard Times: The US Recession of 2007-09," Economics Working Paper Archive wp_726, Levy Economics Institute.
    4. Hani Mansour & Terra McKinnish, 2014. "Couples’ time together: complementarities in production versus complementarities in consumption," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 27(4), pages 1127-1144, October.
    5. Tanja van der Lippe & Judith Treas & Lukas Norbutas, 2018. "Unemployment and the Division of Housework in Europe," Work, Employment & Society, British Sociological Association, vol. 32(4), pages 650-669, August.
    6. Vance, Colin & Procher, Vivien, 2013. "Who Does the Shopping? German time-use evidence, 1996-2009," EconStor Open Access Articles and Book Chapters, ZBW - Leibniz Information Centre for Economics, vol. 2357, pages 125-133.
    7. Tamar Khitarishvili & Kijong Kim, 2015. "The great recession and unpaid work time in the United States - Does poverty matter?," electronic International Journal of Time Use Research, Research Institute on Professions (Forschungsinstitut Freie Berufe (FFB)) and The International Association for Time Use Research (IATUR), vol. 12(1), pages 19-48, December.
    8. Marianne Page & Jessamyn Schaller & David Simon, 2019. "The Effects of Aggregate and Gender-Specific Labor Demand Shocks on Child Health," Journal of Human Resources, University of Wisconsin Press, vol. 54(1), pages 37-78.
    9. Mark A. Aguiar & Erik Hurst & Loukas Karabarbounis, 2011. "Time Use During Recessions," NBER Working Papers 17259, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. repec:zbw:rwirep:0393 is not listed on IDEAS
    11. Ariel Kalil, 2013. "Effects of the Great Recession on Child Development," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 650(1), pages 232-250, November.
    12. Vivien Procher & Colin Vance, 2013. "Who Does the Shopping? – German Time-use Evidence, 1996–2009," Ruhr Economic Papers 0393, Rheinisch-Westfälisches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Universität Dortmund, Universität Duisburg-Essen.
    13. Ebru Kongar & Mark Price, 2017. "Gender, Socioeconomic Status, and Time Use of Married and Cohabiting Parents during the Great Recession," Economics Working Paper Archive wp_888, Levy Economics Institute.
    14. Gunseli Berik & Ebru Kongar, 2011. "Time Use of Mothers and Fathers in Hard Times and Better Times: The US Business Cycle of 2003-10," Economics Working Paper Archive wp_696, Levy Economics Institute.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    time together; unemployment; Great Recession; nonstandard work hours; time use;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • D1 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • J12 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - Marriage; Marital Dissolution; Family Structure
    • E32 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Prices, Business Fluctuations, and Cycles - - - Business Fluctuations; Cycles

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