Time Use Survey

The two primary objectives of the General Social Survey (GSS) are: to gather data on social trends in order to monitor changes in the living conditions and well-being of Canadians over time; and to provide information on specific social policy issues of current or emerging interest.
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All (30)

All (30) (20 to 30 of 30 results)

  • Public use microdata: 12M0019X
    Geography: Province or territory
    Description:

    The core content of time use repeats that of cycle 12 (1998), cycle 7 (1992) and cycle 2 (1986), and provides data on the daily activities of Canadians. Question modules were also included on unpaid work activities, cultural activities, social networks and participation in sports. The target population of the General Social Survey consisted of all individuals aged 15 and over living in a private household in one of the ten provinces.

    Release date: 2006-11-20

  • Articles and reports: 75-001-X200610713167
    Geography: Canada
    Description:

    The division of labour between men and women continues to evolve. Today's couples have a much more equal partnership in sharing financial, child care and household responsibilities. This has been brought about in large part by the expanding economic role of women, which has helped erode the idea that men should be primarily responsible for paid work while women look after unpaid household and family duties.

    Release date: 2006-09-19

  • Articles and reports: 89-622-X2006001
    Description:

    Using data from the General Social Survey on Time Use for 1992, 1998, and 2005, this article analyses the changes in average commute times between home and work. Information is broken down by province, selected census metropolitan areas and mode of transportation used.

    There is also an analysis of the factors involved in increased or decreased commute times for workers between home and work (during weekdays). The analysis shows that in addition to the distance from work, the metropolitan area of residence, whether or not errands are involved and the mode of transportation used all have a major impact on workers' commute times.

    Release date: 2006-07-12

  • Articles and reports: 89-584-M2004005
    Geography: Canada
    Description:

    This paper presents a comprehensive examination of the daily lives, lifestyles and quality of life of Canadians at all stages in the life course. The transitional events studied in this document include: leaving school and entering the work force; leaving the household of origin to establish one's own household; becoming a spouse or life partner; becoming a parent; retirement; and the transitions associated with old age, death of a spouse and changes in living arrangements.

    We examine the way in which time is allocated across four aggregate activity categories (paid work and education, unpaid work, recreation and leisure, and personal care) and how time is distributed among the sub-categories within each. In order to better understand the personal, policy and practice relevance of life course transitions, we compare how respondents who have and have not experienced each transition event feel about their lives and about how they spend their time.

    Release date: 2004-09-09

  • Journals and periodicals: 89-584-M
    Geography: Canada
    Description:

    This study provides a detailed analysis of findings based on the 1998 General Social Survey on Time Use, with some analysis of trends over time using the 1986 and 1992 time use surveys. It addresses the question of how life transitions affect time use patterns and quality of life indicators.

    Like other resources, time is finite. Unlike other resources, time is shared equally by everyone. The trade-offs people make between competing activities depend largely on the nature of their roles and obligations at each stage of life. These trade-offs say a great deal about a person's lifestyle, preferences and choices, or lack of choice. However, the life cycle has lost the uniformity and formality that it once had. Life-course patterns are now more diverse, and the transitions themselves are more likely to be experienced as extended and complex processes rather than as distinct events. Thus, it becomes important to study the impact of various life transitions on time use and quality of life.

    This study examines the following life transitions, with a focus on a comparison of the experiences of women and men:- transition from school to employment- transitions related to union formation and parenthood- transition to retirement- transitions associated with aging: widowhood and changes in living arrangements

    Release date: 2004-09-09

  • Articles and reports: 89-584-M2003003
    Geography: Canada
    Description:

    Presented here is an analysis of time use and quality of life that allows us to gain a better understanding of the new transitions young people in Canada are experiencing. Based on a gender analysis, the study shows the impact of paid work on young people's schedules while they are still in school, comparing those in high school with those at the postsecondary level. The same analysis is then applied to those having completed their transition to employment, where studying is no longer their main activity.

    The results suggest that men and women encounter somewhat different experiences. One finding pertains to the pace of the transition. While young men enter the workforce earlier and work more intensely, young women experience a combination of several simultaneous transitions, such as entering a conjugal relationship and having children.

    A second finding is related to the impact on time use of paid work while studying. The analysis reveals that re-organizing daily activities is not simply a matter of substituting work hours for study hours; many other areas are impacted by students working, such as sleep and active leisure time. The effects vary depending on the number of work hours. Women at the postsecondary level working more than 20 hours a week sacrifice more study time.

    A third finding looks into changes in attitudes regarding school-to-work transitions. Quality of life and time perception indicators suggest that introducing paid work into young men's schedules is regarded as an overall improvement in their life. Young women, however, seem adversely affected, suggesting that they are more vulnerable to stress induced by schedule conflicts.

    Release date: 2004-02-25

  • Articles and reports: 11-008-X20030026622
    Geography: Canada
    Description:

    This study examines the time volunteers, friends or relatives devote to unpaid informal care.

    Release date: 2003-09-09

  • Articles and reports: 89-584-M2003001
    Geography: Canada
    Description:

    This study explores the relationship involving work, parenthood and time scarcity by comparing the experiences of women and men who have recently become parents. It examines how the transition to parenthood affects men and women differently with respect to time use, division of labour and perceptions of time.

    Release date: 2003-07-21

  • Surveys and statistical programs – Documentation: 12-584-G
    Description:

    This book introduces technical aspects of the Statistics Canada Total Work Accounts System (TWAS). The TWAS is designed to facilitate the analysis of issues that require simultaneous consideration of both paid work and unpaid productive work. Its key contribution is to allocate the deemed output of each episode of unpaid work activity to a specific beneficiary or group of beneficiaries (called "destinations"). The guide presents the criteria used to decide the allocation of each work episode to one of the destinations, as well as the pseudo code for DESTIN, the key variable of the System. This pseudo code allows programmers to quickly create the actual programming code needed to derive the DESTIN variable in their own microdata files of diary-based time-use records. The guide also discusses illustrative applications of the System, as well as its key limitations.

    Release date: 2002-02-12

  • Public use microdata: 12M0012X
    Geography: Province or territory
    Description:

    Cycle 12 collected data from persons 15 years and older. The core content of time use repeats that of cycle 7 (1992) and cycle 2 (1986), and provides data on the daily activities of Canadians. Question modules were also included on unpaid work activities, cultural activities and participation in sports. The target population of the General Social Survey consisted of all individuals aged 15 and over living in a private household in one of the ten provinces.

    Release date: 1999-11-09
Data (4)

Data (4) ((4 results))

  • Table: 45-10-0014-02
    Geography: Canada, Geographical region of Canada, Province or territory
    Frequency: Occasional
    Description: Average time spent on unpaid activities, including domestic and care work, by sex and age groups for Canada, Geographical region of Canada, province or territory.
    Release date: 2019-04-03

  • Public use microdata: 12M0024X
    Description:

    This package was designed to enable users to access and manipulate the microdata file for Cycle 24 (2010) of the General Social Survey (GSS). It contains information on the objectives, methodology and estimation procedures, as well as guidelines for releasing estimates based on the survey.

    Cycle 24 collected data from persons 15 years and over living in private households in Canada, excluding residents of the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut; and full-time residents of institutions.

    The purpose of this survey is to better understand how Canadians spent their time. Time use estimates can be produced based on information reported in the time use diary portion of the survey. This diary provides a detailed record of participation in a wide variety of daily activities, as well as the time devoted to them, where these activities took place, and the social relationships of the respondent. Also, for the first time, the 2010 GSS collected information on simultaneous activities, i.e. those that are performed at the same time as a primary activity. The questionnaire collected additional information on perceptions of time, time spent doing unpaid work, well-being, paid work and education, cultural and sports activities, transportation, and numerous socio economic characteristics.

    Cycle 24 is the fifth cycle of the GSS dedicated to collecting data on time use. Previous cycles had been conducted in 1986, 1992, 1998 and 2005. Cycle 24 includes most of the content from previous cycles as well as new content, added to reflect the society's emerging issues.

    Release date: 2011-12-15

  • Public use microdata: 12M0019X
    Geography: Province or territory
    Description:

    The core content of time use repeats that of cycle 12 (1998), cycle 7 (1992) and cycle 2 (1986), and provides data on the daily activities of Canadians. Question modules were also included on unpaid work activities, cultural activities, social networks and participation in sports. The target population of the General Social Survey consisted of all individuals aged 15 and over living in a private household in one of the ten provinces.

    Release date: 2006-11-20

  • Public use microdata: 12M0012X
    Geography: Province or territory
    Description:

    Cycle 12 collected data from persons 15 years and older. The core content of time use repeats that of cycle 7 (1992) and cycle 2 (1986), and provides data on the daily activities of Canadians. Question modules were also included on unpaid work activities, cultural activities and participation in sports. The target population of the General Social Survey consisted of all individuals aged 15 and over living in a private household in one of the ten provinces.

    Release date: 1999-11-09
Analysis (25)

Analysis (25) (0 to 10 of 25 results)

  • Stats in brief: 11-627-M2024041
    Description: Using data from the 2022 Time Use Survey, this infographic explores how parents in different-gender couples share the unpaid work of caring for their own children. It examines how much time parents spend caring for children, how parents report sharing child care in their households, when equal sharing is more or less common, and how sharing child care is linked to time pressure.
    Release date: 2024-10-07

  • Stats in brief: 11-627-M2024024
    Description: Using data from the 2022 Time Use Survey, this infographic provides highlights from the study “Telework, time use, and well-being: Evidence from the 2022 Time Use Survey.” Data about the differences in time use between teleworkers and non-teleworkers are shown, particularly where time saved on the commute to and from work is reallocated to other activities such as time spent with children. The infographic also shows the differences in satisfaction with work-life balance when comparing the two groups.
    Release date: 2024-06-05

  • Stats in brief: 11-001-X202415737424
    Description: Release published in The Daily – Statistics Canada’s official release bulletin
    Release date: 2024-06-05

  • Articles and reports: 89-652-X2024003
    Description: Using data from the 2022 Time Use Survey, this study explores how teleworking is associated with time use and well-being. Two primary research questions are addressed: First, is teleworking associated with time use – such as time in sleep, paid and unpaid work, and leisure? Second, is teleworking associated with work-life balance and time pressure?
    Release date: 2024-06-05

  • Stats in brief: 11-001-X201924221205
    Description: Release published in The Daily – Statistics Canada’s official release bulletin
    Release date: 2019-08-30

  • Articles and reports: 89-503-X201500154931
    Description:

    Using Statistics Canada data from multiple cycles of the General Social Survey, this chapter of Women in Canada examines gender differences in the allocation of time to both primary activities and simultaneous activities (i.e., those done concurrently with other activities), focusing on unpaid work and leisure. It also estimates the total work burden of women and men. In addition to gender, age, family type, and immigrant status may affect time use. For this reason, gender differences in time use among these sub-populations are explored.

    Release date: 2018-07-30

  • Articles and reports: 75-004-M2013002
    Geography: Canada
    Description:

    This article examines the social participation of full-time workers, both formal (i.e., volunteering for organizations) and informal (i.e., helping friends, neighbours). We also look at relatively unexplored factors of social participation, such as flexibility of working conditions, commuting time and worker categories.

    Release date: 2013-04-02

  • Articles and reports: 75-001-X201200211675
    Geography: Canada
    Description:

    The NEET indicator - the proportion of youth age 15 to 29 who are neither in education nor employment - is regularly published by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to document aspects of the transition into adulthood. The indicator emerged in the United Kingdom in the 1990s in response to concerns about the social exclusion of disadvantaged youth. This paper examines trends in Canadian NEET rates as well as the characteristics and activities of NEET youth.

    Release date: 2012-05-23

  • Articles and reports: 75-001-X201200111612
    Geography: Canada
    Description:

    Research suggests that the division of labour and men's and women's role expectations are continuing to evolve. This may be especially true for Generation Y, those born between 1980 and 1995, who grew up during a period of changing family dynamics and family formation. This article examines the changes in the participation in, and time spent on, paid jobs and unpaid household work for individuals age 20 to 29 from three generations - late Baby Boomers, Generation X and Generation Y.

    Release date: 2011-12-20

  • Articles and reports: 89-503-X201000111546
    Geography: Canada
    Description:

    This chapter on families, living arrangements and unpaid work examines the family context and living arrangements of women, including their conjugal lives, and for those in couples, whether they are legal marriages or common-law unions, opposite-sex or same-sex couples, and whether or not there are children present. In addition, female lone-parent families are also analysed, as well as women who live in other arrangements, such as alone or with non-relatives. Other patterns related to births, marriages and divorces are explored, as are family characteristics and living arrangements of immigrant women and visible minority women. Finally, the area of unpaid work is examined, specifically, care of household children, domestic work (including housework and household maintenance) and volunteering.

    Release date: 2011-12-14
Reference (1)

Reference (1) ((1 result))

  • Surveys and statistical programs – Documentation: 12-584-G
    Description:

    This book introduces technical aspects of the Statistics Canada Total Work Accounts System (TWAS). The TWAS is designed to facilitate the analysis of issues that require simultaneous consideration of both paid work and unpaid productive work. Its key contribution is to allocate the deemed output of each episode of unpaid work activity to a specific beneficiary or group of beneficiaries (called "destinations"). The guide presents the criteria used to decide the allocation of each work episode to one of the destinations, as well as the pseudo code for DESTIN, the key variable of the System. This pseudo code allows programmers to quickly create the actual programming code needed to derive the DESTIN variable in their own microdata files of diary-based time-use records. The guide also discusses illustrative applications of the System, as well as its key limitations.

    Release date: 2002-02-12