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Household Time Use Among Older Couples: Evidence and Implications for Labor Supply Parameters

Author

Listed:
  • Richard Rogerson
  • Johanna Wallenius

Abstract

Using the Consumption Activities Mail Survey (CAMS) module in the HRS we document how time allocations change for individuals within a household when one or more members transitions from full time work to not working. Our basic finding is that the ratio of home production to leisure time is approximately constant for both family members. We then build a model of household labor supply to understand the implications of this finding for preferences and the home production function. We conclude that this fact suggests a relatively large elasticity of substitution between the leisure of the two members. For commonly used preference specifications, this also implies a large (i.e., greater than one) intertemporal elasticity of substitution for leisure.

Suggested Citation

  • Richard Rogerson & Johanna Wallenius, 2018. "Household Time Use Among Older Couples: Evidence and Implications for Labor Supply Parameters," NBER Working Papers 24263, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    • Handle: RePEc:nbr:nberwo:24263
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    Cited by:

    1. Max Groneck & Johanna Wallenius, 2021. "It Sucks to Be Single! Marital Status and Redistribution of Social Security [Female labor supply as insurance against idiosyncratic risk]," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 131(633), pages 327-371.
    2. Merkurieva, Irina, 2023. "Retirement coordination and leisure complementarity," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 85(C).
    3. David E. Bloom & Alex Khoury & Eda Algur & J. P. Sevilla, 2020. "Valuing Productive Non-market Activities of Older Adults in Europe and the US," De Economist, Springer, vol. 168(2), pages 153-181, June.
    4. Ferranna, Maddalena & Sevilla, J.P. & Zucker, Leo & Bloom, David E., 2022. "Patterns of Time Use among Older People," IZA Discussion Papers 15227, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    5. Nezih Guner & Yuliya Kulikova & Arnau Valladares-Esteban, 2025. "Does the Added Worker Effect Matter?," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 56, April.
    6. Tomáš Lichard & Filip Pertold & Samuel Škoda, 2021. "Do women face a glass ceiling at home? The division of household labor among dual-earner couples," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 19(4), pages 1209-1243, December.
    7. Ferranna, Maddalena, 2025. "Ageing and the allocation of time among older Americans," The Journal of the Economics of Ageing, Elsevier, vol. 31(C).
    8. Hamermesh, Daniel S. & Pfann, Gerard A., 2022. "The variability and volatility of sleep: An ARCHetypal behavior," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 47(C).
    9. Jim Been & Susann Rohwedder & Michael Hurd, 2021. "Households’ joint consumption spending and home production responses to retirement in the US," Review of Economics of the Household, Springer, vol. 19(4), pages 959-985, December.
    10. Cai, Jun & Zhao, Kui, 2024. "Uniform agricultural tax abolition and differential household labor supply: Evidence from China's urban household survey," China Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 86(C).
    11. Cao, Huoqing & Chen, Chaoran & Xi, Xican, 2024. "Home Production and Gender Gap in Structural Change," MPRA Paper 122334, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    12. Inukai, Shinya, 2025. "The impacts of raising the public pension eligibility age on time allocation of elderly people: Evidence from Japan," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 233(C).

    More about this item

    JEL classification:

    • E24 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Employment; Unemployment; Wages; Intergenerational Income Distribution; Aggregate Human Capital; Aggregate Labor Productivity
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply

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