Representative time use data and new harmonised calibration of the American Heritage Time Use Data (AHTUD) 1965-1999

Representative and reliable individual time use data, in connection with a proper set of socio-economic back-ground variables, are essential elements for the empirical foundation and evaluation of existing and new theories in general and in particular for time use analyses. Within the international project Assessing Time Use Survey Datasets several potentially useful individual US time use heritage datasets have been identified for use in de-veloping an historical series of non-market accounts. In order to evaluate the series of American Heritage Time Use Data (AHTUD) (1965, 1975, 1985, 1992-94, 1998-99) this paper analyses the representativeness of this data when using given weights and provides a new harmonised calibration of the AHTUD for sound time use analyses. Our calibration procedure with its ADJUST program package is theoretically founded on information theory, consistent with a simultaneous weighting including hierarchical data, ensures desired positive weights, and is well-suited and available for any time use data calibration of interest. We present the calibration approach and provide new harmonised weights for all AHTUD surveys based on a substantially driven calibration frame-work. To illustrate the various application possibilities of a calibration, we finally disentangle demographic vs. time use behavioural changes and developments by re-calibrating all five AHTUD surveys using 1965 popula-tion totals as a benchmark.Representative time use data, calibration (adjustment re-weighting) of microdata, information theory, minimum information loss principle, American Heritage Time Use Data (AHTUD), ADJUST program package

Representative time use data and new harmonised calibration of the American Heritage Time Use Data (AHTUD) 1965-1999

Representative and reliable individual time use data, in connection with a proper set of socio-economic back-ground variables, are essential elements for the empirical foundation and evaluation of existing and new theories in general and in particular for time use analyses. Within the international project Assessing Time Use Survey Datasets several potentially useful individual US time use heritage datasets have been identified for use in de-veloping an historical series of non-market accounts. In order to evaluate the series of American Heritage Time Use Data (AHTUD) (1965, 1975, 1985, 1992-94, 1998-99) this paper analyses the representativeness of this data when using given weights and provides a new harmonised calibration of the AHTUD for sound time use analyses. Our calibration procedure with its ADJUST program package is theoretically founded on information theory, consistent with a simultaneous weighting including hierarchical data, ensures desired positive weights, and is well-suited and available for any time use data calibration of interest. We present the calibration approach and provide new harmonised weights for all AHTUD surveys based on a substantially driven calibration frame-work. To illustrate the various application possibilities of a calibration, we finally disentangle demographic vs. time use behavioural changes and developments by re-calibrating all five AHTUD surveys using 1965 popula-tion totals as a benchmark.Representative time use data, calibration (adjustment re-weighting) of microdata, information theory, minimum information loss principle, American Heritage Time Use Data (AHTUD), ADJUST program package

Job Search and Unemployment Insurance: New Evidence from Time Use Data

This paper provides new evidence on job search intensity of the unemployed in the U.S., modeling job search intensity as time allocated to job search activities. The main findings are: 1) the average unemployed worker in the U.S. devotes about 41 minutes to job search on weekdays, which is substantially more than his or her European counterpart; 2) workers who expect to be recalled by their previous employer search substantially less than the average unemployed worker; 3) across the 50 states and D.C., job search is inversely related to the generosity of unemployment benefits, with an elasticity between -1.6 and -2.2; 4) the predicted wage is a strong predictor of time devoted to job search, with an elasticity in excess of 2.5; 5) job search intensity for those eligible for Unemployment Insurance (UI) increases prior to benefit exhaustion; 6) time devoted to job search is fairly constant regardless of unemployment duration for those who are ineligible for UI. A nonparametric Monte Carlo technique suggests that the relationship between job search effort and the duration of unemployment for a cross-section of job seekers is only slightly biased by length-based sampling.unemployment, unemployment insurance, job search, time use, unemployment benefits, inequality

Job Search and Unemployment Insurance: New Evidence from Time Use Data

This paper provides new evidence on job search intensity of the unemployed in the U.S., modeling job search intensity as time allocated to job search activities. The main findings are: 1) the average unemployed worker in the U.S. devotes about 41 minutes to job search on weekdays, which is substantially more than his or her European counterpart; 2) workers who expect to be recalled by their previous employer search substantially less than the average unemployed worker; 3) across the 50 states and D.C., job search is inversely related to the generosity of unemployment benefits, with an elasticity between -1.6 and -2.2; 4) the predicted wage is a strong predictor of time devoted to job search, with an elasticity in excess of 2.5; 5) job search intensity for those eligible for Unemployment Insurance (UI) increases prior to benefit exhaustion; 6) time devoted to job search is fairly constant regardless of unemployment duration for those who are ineligible for UI. A nonparametric Monte Carlo technique suggests that the relationship between job search effort and the duration of unemployment for a cross-section of job seekers is only slightly biased by length-based sampling.unemployment, unemployment insurance, job search, time use, unemployment benefits, inequality

Job Search and Unemployment Insurance: New Evidence from Time Use Data

This paper provides new evidence on job search intensity of the unemployed in the U.S., modeling job search intensity as time allocated to job search activities. The main findings are: 1) the average unemployed worker in the U.S. devotes about 41 minutes to job search on weekdays, which is substantially more than his or her European counterpart; 2) workers who expect to be recalled by their previous employer search substantially less than the average unemployed worker; 3) across the 50 states and D.C., job search is inversely related to the generosity of unemployment benefits, with an elasticity between -1.6 and -2.2; 4) the predicted wage is a strong predictor of time devoted to job search, with an elasticity in excess of 2.5; 5) job search intensity for those eligible for Unemployment Insurance (UI) increases prior to benefit exhaustion; 6) time devoted to job search is fairly constant regardless of unemployment duration for those who are ineligible for UI. A nonparametric Monte Carlo technique suggests that the relationship between job search effort and the duration of unemployment for a cross-section of job seekers is only slightly biased by length-based sampling.unemployment, unemployment insurance, job search, time use, unemployment benefits, inequality

Microeconomic Analysis of Time-use Data. Did we reach the promised land?

This paper surveys the last decade of micro-economic research using time-use data. Focusing on the household production model, time-use as an investment activity, and the distribution of extended income, issues of data collection, measurement errors, model specification and estimation as well as substantive results are reviewed and discussed. Although time-use data have specific characteristics which need be considered in analysis there is more to learn from these data and in particular if present short-comings are dealt with in future data collection.time-use; household production; labor supply; auxiliary information

Time Use Research and Time Use Data Actual Topics and New Frontiers

This paper is asking about the actual used and appropriate data for recent substantive time use research. Emphasis is laid on both, macroanalytic and microanalytic approaches. However, the focus is on microeconomic approaches with topics on time use in the labour market (labour supply) and household production including the shadow pricing of unpaid work. Based on a structured survey about time use research and their data, actual topics, advantages and disadvantages of the data connected with the requirements on the research frontier and hints for further needs and developments are discussed.Time use research, time use data, time budget, macro- and micronanalytic approaches

Time Use Research and Time Use Data – Actual Topics and New Frontiers

This paper is asking about the actual used and appropriate data for recent substantive time use research. Emphasis is laid on both, macroanalytic and microanalytic approaches. However, the focus is on microeconomic approaches with topics on time use in the labour market (labour supply) and household production including the shadow pricing of unpaid work. Based on a structured survey about time use research and their data, actual topics, advantages and disadvantages of the data connected with the requirements on the research frontier and hints for further needs and developments are discussed.Time use research, time use data, time budget, macro- and micronanalytic approaches

Maternal Employment and Childhood Obesity: A Search for Mechanisms in Time Use Data

Recent research has found that maternal employment is associated with an increased risk of childhood obesity. This paper explores mechanisms for that correlation. We estimate models of instrumental variables using a unique dataset, the American Time Use Survey, that measure the effect of maternal employment on the mother’s allocation of time to activities related to child diet and physical activity. We find that employed women spend significantly less time cooking, eating with their children, and playing with their children, and are more likely to purchase prepared foods. We find suggestive evidence that these decreases in time are only partly offset by husbands and partners. These findings offer plausible mechanisms for the association of maternal employment with childhood obesity.

Representative Time Use Data and Calibration of the American Time Use Studies 1965-1999

Valid and reliable individual time use data in connection with an appriate set of socio -economic background variables are essential elements of an empirical foundation and evaluation of existing time use theories and for the search of new empirical-based hypotheses about individual behavior. Within the Yale project of Assessing American Heritage Time Use Studies (1965, 1975, 19895, 1992-94 and 1998/99), supported by the Glaser Foundation, and working with these time use studies, it is necessary to be sure about comparable representative data. As it will become evident, there is a serious bias in all of these files concerning demographic characteristics, characteristics which are important for substantive time use research analyses. Our study and new calibration solution will circumvent these biases by delivering a comprehensive demographic adjustment for all incorporated U.S. time use surveys, which is theoretically funded (here by information theory and the minimum information loss principle with its ADJUST program package), is consistent by a simultaneous weighting including hierarchical data, considers substantial requirements for time use research analyses and is similar and thus comparable in the demographic adjustment characteristics for all U.S. time use files to support substantial analyses and allows to disentangle demographic vs. time use behavioral changes and developments.time use, calibration (adjustment re-weighting) of microdata, information theory, minimum information loss principle, American Heritage Time Use Studies, ADJUST program package