Session III. Emerging issues in gender statistics “Time Use in Australia” Carolyn Ashley Australian Bureau of Statistics UNECE Work Session on Gender Statistics (Geneva, April 2010)

Australian Time Use Surveys  The supporting paper outlines the survey design for the Australian Time Use Survey (from a pilot in 1987 to surveys run in 1992, 1997 and 2006).  The ABS publication How Australians Use Their Time (cat. no ) presents results from the 2006 Time Use Survey. Comparisons are made with results from the 1992 and 1997 surveys.  The survey was conducted by ABS across all States and Territories and collected information from people aged 15 years and over.  Time use information is important for examining how people allocate time to activities such as paid and unpaid work, and for analysing issues relating to gender equality, care giving and balancing family and paid work responsibilities.

Key Drivers and Benefits  A key driver for the survey was to measure the unpaid economy:  to understand its value and relationship to the size of the economy  to acknowledge the caring and maintaining work of women  to gain a better understanding of levels of unpaid work.  Particular benefits of the ABS Time Use Survey include the use of: 1. detailed activity based classification groups 2. a framework for examining life balance (as represented by the categories of time use).

Average Time Spent by Activity Classification Groups

Activity Classification Groups: Key Gender Issues  Paid work up by around 1:17 a week  Increase for both men and women  Unpaid work:  Domestic work –relatively unchanged for men since 1992 –continued decrease for women, down by 56 minutes a week since 1997 –women have increased household management activities  Child care –small increase in physical care by men and women compared with 1997 –apparent increase in playing, reading and talking with child by both men and women was partly due to a systematic change in coding  Voluntary work and care – down slightly for men, unchanged for women

 Necessary time –Sleeping, eating, personal hygiene, dressing, grooming, personal health care.  Contracted time –Employment and formal education.  Committed time –Unpaid work: Housework, meal preparation, household management, house and grounds maintenance, child care, shopping for goods and services, voluntary work, caring & helping.  Free time –Social, cultural and religious activities, outdoor recreation, games and hobbies, arts and crafts, media use, conversation and other leisure.  Note: Associated travel and communication included in each group. Categories of Time Use

Summary of Time Use

Changes Over Time by Gender

Women and Men - Life Situations

Full Time and Part Time Employment

For additional information, please refer to the ABS publications: How Australians Use Their Time (cat. no ) Time Use Survey, User Guide, Australia (cat. no )