Table 2. Time spent in primary activities (1) and percent of the civilian population engaging in each activity, averages per day on weekdays and weekends, 2008 annual averages
Table 2. Time spent in primary activities (1) and percent of the civilian population engaging in each
activity, averages per day on weekdays and weekends, 2008 annual averages
Average hours per Average percent Average hours per
day, civilian engaged in the day for persons who
population activity per day engaged in the
activity
Activity
Weekends Weekends Weekends
Weekdays and Weekdays and Weekdays and
holidays- holidays- holidays-
(2) (2) (2)
Total, all activities (3).................... 24.00 24.00 - - - -
Personal care activities................... 9.10 10.07 100.0 99.9 9.11 10.07
Sleeping................................ 8.30 9.31 99.9 99.9 8.31 9.32
Eating and drinking........................ 1.18 1.35 96.3 95.5 1.22 1.41
Household activities....................... 1.57 2.08 73.3 74.6 2.15 2.80
Housework............................... .53 .70 34.4 38.0 1.53 1.86
Food preparation and cleanup............ .50 .59 53.0 50.6 .93 1.16
Lawn and garden care.................... .16 .25 8.8 10.8 1.86 2.28
Household management.................... .12 .15 18.1 18.1 .65 .83
Purchasing goods and services.............. .71 .91 43.8 47.0 1.61 1.93
Consumer goods purchases................ .32 .53 38.9 44.8 .82 1.19
Professional and personal care services .10 .04 10.8 4.4 .91 .97
Caring for and helping household members... .57 .44 27.8 22.0 2.05 2.00
Caring for and helping household
children............................... .44 .37 23.8 18.9 1.83 1.93
Caring for and helping nonhousehold members .22 .24 13.0 14.2 1.70 1.67
Caring for and helping nonhousehold
adults................................. .07 .09 8.0 9.6 .85 .91
Working and work-related activities........ 4.74 1.38 56.5 23.8 8.38 5.78
Working................................. 4.29 1.24 54.3 22.1 7.89 5.60
Educational activities..................... .61 .14 9.5 4.3 6.46 3.24
Attending class......................... .38 .01 7.3 .3 5.25 (4)
Homework and research................... .18 .12 6.6 4.0 2.65 3.00
Organizational, civic, and religious
activities................................ .25 .53 12.4 19.8 2.03 2.66
Religious and spiritual activities...... .08 .30 6.4 15.9 1.18 1.90
Volunteering (organizational and civic
activities)............................ .15 .16 7.1 6.9 2.08 2.32
Leisure and sports......................... 4.62 6.48 95.8 97.0 4.83 6.68
Socializing and communicating........... .54 1.12 36.2 45.4 1.49 2.46
Watching television..................... 2.55 3.29 80.2 82.6 3.18 3.98
Participating in sports, exercise, and
recreation............................. .27 .35 18.4 16.8 1.48 2.08
Telephone calls, mail, and e-mail.......... .23 .18 28.0 22.2 .80 .81
Other activities, not elsewhere classified .20 .21 14.7 14.6 1.36 1.45
1 A primary activity refers to an individual's main activity. Other activities done simultaneously are
not included.
2 Holidays are New Year's Day, Easter, Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day,
and Christmas Day. In 2008, data were not collected about Christmas Day.
3 All major activity categories include related travel time. See Technical Note for activity category
definitions.
4 Data not shown where base is less than 1.2 million.
- Not applicable.
NOTE: Data refer to persons 15 years and over.
Last Modified Date: June 24, 2009
