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Economic News Release
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Table 1. Time spent in primary activities (1) and the percent of married mothers and fathers who did the activities on an average day by employment status and age of youngest own household child, average for the combined years 2003-06

       Table 1. Time spent in primary activities (1) and the percent of married mothers and fathers who did the activities on an average day by employment status and age of
       youngest own household child, average for the combined years 2003-06
       
       Own household children under 18
                                                                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                                                 
                                                             Average hours per day spent in primary activities (1)            Percent doing the activity on an average day       
                                                                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                                                 
                            Activity                                Married mothers             Married fathers (2)             Married mothers             Married fathers (2)  
                                                                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                                                 
                                                            Employed    Employed      Not       Employed      Not       Employed    Employed      Not       Employed      Not    
                                                           full time   part time    Employed   full time    Employed   full time   part time    Employed   full time    Employed 
                                                                                                                                                                                 
                                                                                                                                                                                 
       Total, all activities.............................     24.00       24.00       24.00       24.00       24.00      100.0       100.0       100.0       100.0       100.0   
                                                                                                                                                                                 
         Personal care activities........................      9.00        9.08        9.42        8.62        9.66      100.0       100.0       100.0       100.0       100.0   
            Sleeping.....................................      8.18        8.32        8.77        8.03        8.98       99.9       100.0       100.0        99.9       100.0   
         Household activities............................      2.05        2.63        3.64        1.24        2.32       88.6        92.4        95.8        64.2        73.1   
            Housework....................................       .89        1.16        1.69         .22         .52       55.5        68.3        77.4        18.3        30.5   
            Food preparation and cleanup.................       .78        1.01        1.44         .28         .60       73.9        81.2        88.6        38.5        49.4   
            Lawn and garden care.........................       .10         .12         .14         .23         .35        6.4         8.8         9.8        11.0        15.2   
         Purchasing goods and services...................       .60         .77         .82         .38         .54       53.1        61.7        57.5        40.5        45.5   
            Grocery shopping.............................       .14         .19         .23         .07         .11       19.1        25.7        26.3         9.8        13.6   
            Consumer goods purchases, except grocery                                                                                                                             
             shopping....................................       .37         .44         .47         .25         .26       38.9        43.7        39.4        31.8        30.0   
         Caring for and helping household members........      1.22        1.87        2.48         .84        1.26       72.1        82.6        86.0        55.4        60.6   
            Caring for and helping household children....      1.19        1.83        2.45         .81        1.21       70.7        81.1        85.0        53.8        58.7   
              Physical care..............................       .52         .75        1.07         .26         .32       50.6        63.7        72.3        32.0        31.9   
              Education-related activities...............       .10         .16         .23         .06         .15       11.0        18.6        20.0         6.2        13.7   
              Reading to/with children...................       .04         .08         .09         .02         .03        9.0        14.5        15.3         5.2         4.6   
              Playing/doing hobbies with children........       .19         .35         .52         .26         .31       14.1        20.0        27.9        15.9        17.8   
         Working and work-related activities (3).........      5.18        2.74         .10        6.12         .50       69.1        53.8         3.3        73.7        15.4   
            Working (3)..................................      5.14        2.70         .02        6.08         .10       68.7        52.5          .8        73.3         2.6   
         Leisure and sports..............................      2.93        3.42        4.19        3.66        6.30       93.1        96.3        96.4        94.2        97.3   
            Socializing and communicating................       .66         .81         .92         .64        1.07       41.1        48.3        48.5        37.9        46.0   
            Watching television..........................      1.46        1.66        2.22        1.96        3.70       71.4        76.3        80.0        76.5        85.7   
            Participating in sports, exercise, and                                                                                                                               
             recreation..................................       .16         .21         .23         .30         .24       13.3        18.2        16.2        16.2        14.1   
         Travel..........................................      1.39        1.40        1.17        1.47        1.21       94.5        93.0        85.0        94.9        77.7   
            Travel related to caring for and helping                                                                                                                             
             household children..........................       .23         .28         .28         .12         .17       39.6        44.6        41.9        22.8        29.4   
         Other activities, not elsewhere classified......      1.63        2.10        2.19        1.66        2.22       97.6        98.5        98.2        97.6        95.8   

       Own household children, youngest under 6

                                                                                                                                                                                 
         Personal care activities........................      9.06        9.06        9.48        8.63        9.59      100.0       100.0       100.0       100.0       100.0   
            Sleeping.....................................      8.31        8.38        8.89        8.06        9.02      100.0       100.0       100.0        99.9       100.0   
         Household activities............................      1.92        2.44        3.42        1.15        2.13       88.1        89.8        95.5        63.1        71.6   
            Housework....................................       .84        1.09        1.61         .24         .42       52.5        64.9        78.0        19.7        27.8   
            Food preparation and cleanup.................       .77        1.00        1.41         .29         .64       75.3        80.1        88.5        39.5        50.5   
            Lawn and garden care.........................       .08         .08         .11         .21         .30        4.7         6.4         7.9         9.8        11.9   
         Purchasing goods and services...................       .61         .73         .76         .41         .54       52.7        57.4        54.6        40.3        43.3   
            Grocery shopping.............................       .15         .17         .20         .08         .12       18.9        20.9        22.5        10.4        12.6   
            Consumer goods purchases, except grocery                                                                                                                             
             shopping....................................       .36         .42         .45         .27         .31       38.2        41.0        38.2        31.8        33.0   
         Caring for and helping household members........      1.99        2.72        3.24        1.23        1.81       89.4        93.3        93.2        67.9        72.1   
            Caring for and helping household children....      1.97        2.70        3.21        1.21        1.75       89.1        92.8        93.1        67.0        71.4   
              Physical care..............................      1.04        1.30        1.54         .45         .57       80.5        86.6        88.2        49.4        47.5   
              Education-related activities...............       .07         .10         .17         .05         .09        8.2        13.3        16.1         5.0        10.4   
              Reading to/with children...................       .08         .12         .12         .04         .05       18.4        22.3        21.3         8.6         8.0   
              Playing/doing hobbies with children........       .42         .70         .82         .46         .60       31.1        39.0        43.0        26.4        31.5   
         Working and work-related activities (3).........      4.84        2.58         .07        6.05         .48       65.6        50.7         2.5        73.1        14.8   
            Working (3)..................................      4.81        2.52         .02        6.01         .17       65.3        49.4          .7        72.7         3.0   
         Leisure and sports..............................      2.70        3.14        3.89        3.50        5.58       92.3        95.6        96.0        93.7        97.9   
            Socializing and communicating................       .66         .84         .89         .68         .97       40.4        48.4        47.8        38.9        45.6   
            Watching television..........................      1.38        1.50        2.10        1.87        3.18       70.2        74.2        78.9        74.5        81.9   
            Participating in sports, exercise, and                                                                                                                               
             recreation..................................       .14         .18         .18         .27         .23       12.5        14.8        14.4        15.0        12.6   
         Travel..........................................      1.39        1.30        1.06        1.41        1.23       93.9        91.8        83.5        94.8        78.1   
            Travel related to caring for and helping                                                                                                                             
             household children..........................       .28         .27         .25         .11         .19       45.4        42.8        40.5        22.8        31.2   
         Other activities, not elsewhere classified......      1.50        2.03        2.09        1.61        2.63       97.3        98.0        98.7        97.8        95.9   
       
       Own household children 6-17, none younger
                                                                                                                                                                                 
         Personal care activities........................      8.96        9.11        9.33        8.61        9.70      100.0       100.0       100.0       100.0       100.0   
            Sleeping.....................................      8.09        8.27        8.61        8.00        8.95       99.9       100.0       100.0        99.9        99.9   
         Household activities............................      2.13        2.78        3.96        1.32        2.45       88.9        94.7        96.2        65.3        74.3   
            Housework....................................       .92        1.22        1.80         .20         .60       57.3        71.2        76.6        17.0        32.5   
            Food preparation and cleanup.................       .78        1.02        1.47         .27         .57       73.1        82.2        88.8        37.5        48.5   
            Lawn and garden care.........................       .12         .16         .17         .25         .39        7.4        10.8        12.5        12.1        17.6   
         Purchasing goods and services...................       .60         .80         .90         .35         .54       53.3        65.2        61.8        40.7        47.0   
            Grocery shopping.............................       .13         .21         .27         .06         .11       19.2        29.7        31.7         9.3        14.3   
            Consumer goods purchases, except grocery                                                                                                                             
             shopping....................................       .37         .45         .50         .23         .22       39.3        45.9        41.0        31.9        27.9   
         Caring for and helping household members........       .74        1.16        1.39         .47         .86       61.3        73.8        75.5        43.6        52.3   
            Caring for and helping household children....       .71        1.11        1.34         .43         .82       59.1        71.4        73.3        41.3        49.6   
              Physical care..............................       .20         .30         .38         .08         .14       31.8        44.6        49.1        15.6        20.7   
              Education-related activities...............       .12         .21         .32         .07         .19       12.8        23.0        25.7         7.3        16.0   
              Reading to/with children...................       .02         .04         .04         .01         .02        3.1         8.1         6.7         2.0         2.2   
              Playing/doing hobbies with children........       .04         .05         .08         .08         .10        3.4         4.3         6.0         5.9         8.0   
         Working and work-related activities (3).........      5.39        2.87         .15        6.19         .51       71.3        56.4         4.5        74.3        15.8   
            Working (3)..................................      5.35        2.84         .03        6.15         .05       70.8        55.2          .9        73.9         2.4   
         Leisure and sports..............................      3.08        3.64        4.64        3.81        6.82       93.6        96.9        97.1        94.7        96.9   
            Socializing and communicating................       .65         .78         .96         .61        1.13       41.5        48.2        49.4        37.0        46.3   
            Watching television..........................      1.51        1.80        2.39        2.05        4.07       72.1        78.0        81.6        78.3        88.5   
            Participating in sports, exercise, and                                                                                                                               
             recreation..................................       .17         .24         .29         .32         .25       13.8        20.9        18.7        17.3        15.2   
         Travel..........................................      1.39        1.48        1.32        1.53        1.20       94.9        94.0        87.2        94.9        77.4   
            Travel related to caring for and helping                                                                                                                             
             household children..........................       .20         .29         .33         .12         .15       36.1        46.2        44.0        22.9        28.2   
         Other activities, not elsewhere classified......      1.71        2.15        2.32        1.71        1.93       97.8        98.9        97.5        97.4        95.8   
         
            1 A primary activity refers to an individual's main activity.  Other activities done simultaneously are not included.
            2 Estimates for part-time workers are not shown because it is uncommon for fathers of household children to work part time.
            3 Estimates include a small amount of work time done by persons who do not meet the ATUS definition of employed.
            NOTE:  Data refer to persons 15 years and over.
         
         
         
         
         
         

Table of Contents

Last Modified Date: May 08, 2008