Sociologies (Nov 2013)
La mesure du temps de travail
Abstract
This paper deals with the methodology of time-budget studies for the measurement of time devoted to work. It relies on five Canadian studies made between 1986 and 2010, three French studies made in the same year as some Canadian surveys as well as three surveys made in the USA. The methodology of such studies is briefly described, including their limitations; it shows how our perception of time devoted to work is barely reliable with respect to the data gathered in time-budget studies. The measurement of time devoted to work includes not only the time directly devoted to paid work, but many other aspects, such as travel to work, that increases significantly the total amount of daily working time. Over a long period of time one can also analyze quite precisely time displacements, particularly the acute sensibility of leisure time with respect to any increase or decrease of working time, as well as differences according to gender or parental life cycle.
