Work, Rest, and Play: Exploring Trends in Time Allocation in Canada and the United States

We control for demographic changes to document trends in the allocation of time using time diary data for Canada (1986 to 2005) and the United States (1985 to 2005). We find that (1) in 2005, average weekly hours spent on market work is higher in Canada than in the U.S. (37.29 vs. 33.29) , (2) between 1986 and 2005 market work increased by an average of 3.75 hours per week in Canada, but in the U.S it remained relatively stable, and (3) over the sample period, leisure time increased in the U.S., but fell in Canada. In addition, the least educated enjoy more leisure relative to the most highly educated in both countries but this inequality is narrowing for Canadian men.