Precious Little Time

by Jack Loechner, Dec 24, 2008, 9:30 AM

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Another index declining this year is the shrinking of America's leisure time, according to the latest results from The Harris Poll, tracking America's leisure time since 1973. The poll finds that The median number of leisure hours available each week dropped 20% in 2008, from 20 hours in 2007, to an all-time low of only 16 hours this year. This continues a trend which has seen America's median weekly leisure time shrink 10 hours from 26 hours per week in 1973.

The Harris Interactive survey of  1,010 adults between October 16 and 19, 2008 found that:

• The biggest changes this year in how people are using their precious leisure time were in TV watching (up 6 points), exercise (up 3 points) and spending time with family and kids (up 3 points)
• Since 1995 the largest changes in how people are spending their leisure time are exercising (up 6 points), computer activities (up 5 points), spending time with family and kids (up 5 points) and swimming (down 5 points)
• 30% of Americans say their favorite activity is reading (up from 29% in 2007) while 24% say it is TV watching and 17% say it is spending time with family and kids (up from 14% in 2007). Rounding out the top five leisure time activities are exercise (8%) and computer activities and fishing (each at 7%);
• The median amount of time spent working, including housekeeping and studying, is now at 46 hours per week, slightly from 45 hours in 2007. In 1973, when this question was first asked, the median was 41 hours a week
• Generation Xers (ages 32-43) are working the most hours (55 each week), followed by 50 hours each week for Echo Boomers (18-31) and Baby Boomers (44-62). As many Matures are retired, they are only working 15 hours each week.

In 2008, Americans increased their work week one hour, yet claim to have lost four hours of leisure time. As the American economic situation worsened, opined the report, people who were worried about their jobs spent more time "just checking in" via computer or wireless device and didn't consider it as time working, nor did they count it as leisure time.

Also, as leisure time shrinks, four of this year's top activities are reading, watching TV, exercising, and computer activities. The research indicates that US Internet penetration is at an all-time high, it adding credence to the theory that Americans may be spending just as much or more time on computer activities, yet are considering this time as neither work nor leisure.

Top 10 Favorite Leisure-Time Activities (% of Respondents, Unaided Responses)
	2003	2004	2007	2008
Reading	24%	35%	29%	30%
TV watching	17	21	18	24
Spending time with family/kids	17	20	14	17
Exercise (aerobics, weights)	6	6	5	8
Computer activities	5	7	9	7
Fishing	9	8	7	7
Going to movies	7	10	7	6
Golf	3	4	5	6
Walking	4	6	6	6
Gardening	6	6	6	5
Source: Harris Poll, October 2008

 

Biggest Favorite Changes Since 1995 (% of Respondents)
	1995	2008	Change (Points)
Exercise	2%	8%	+6
Computer activities	2	7	+5
Spending time with family/kids	12	17	+5
Swimming	7	2	-5
Source: Harris Poll, October 2008

 

Biggest Favorite Changes Since Last Year (% of Respondents)
	2007	2008	Change
T.V. Watching	18%	24%	+6
Spending time with family/kids	14	17	+3
Exercise	5	8	+3
Source: Harris Poll, October 2008

 

Work Hours Per Week (% of Respondents; Hours a week spent at job or occupation, including keeping house or going to school, as well as working for pay or profit)
Year	Median Number of Work Hours
2008	46
2007	45
2004	50
2003	49
2002	47
2001	50
2000	50
1980	47
1973	41
Source: Harris Poll, October 2008

 

Leisure Hours Available Per Week (% of Respondents; Hours each week to relax, watch TV, take part in sports or hobbies, go swimming or skiing, go to the movies, theater, concerts, or other forms of entertainment, get together with friends, etc)
Year	Median Number of Leisure Hours
2008	16
2007	20
2004	19
2003	19
2002	20
2001	20
2000	20
1980	19
1973	26
Source: Harris Poll, October 2008

 

Work And Leisure Time Per Week (Demographic Categories)
	Work hours	Leisure hours
All Adults	46	16
Age
Echo Boomers (18-31)	50	14
Gen. X (32-43)	55	20
Baby Boomers (44-62)	50	20
Matures (63+)	15	24
Region
East	45	20
Midwest	49	14
South	50	20
West	40	15
Gender
Male	50	20
Female	40	15
Race/Ethnicity
White	50	20
Black	40	10
Hispanic	50	10
Household Income
Less than $35,000	40	10
$35,000 - $49,999	45	15
$50,000 - $74,999	50	20
$75,000 or more	50	20
Children
Households with children	50	12
Households with no children	45	16
Source: Harris Poll, October 2008

For additional information, please visit Harris Interactive here.

 

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0 comments on "Precious Little Time".

1. Gus Klein from LA GAY AND LESBIAN CENTER
   

   commented on: December 24, 2008 at 12:07 p.m.

   I always find these analysis intriguing, and question the metrics that set them up.

   What we have understood as "leisure time" is changing as we have come to multitask. If gardening is "leisurely", is farming? Can't I now be on a tractor watching Hulu?

   As society has come to adapt a work style that is more personalized, specialized, localized, and customized, is it fair to say "leisure time" is shrinking? Or, becoming more compatible with our work life? I can graze at Facebook and still update my employer's profiles.
   Where is that study? :)

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