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Cyclical variation in labor hours and productivity using the ATUS

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  • Burda, Michael C.
  • Hamermesh, Daniel S.
  • Stewart, Jay

Abstract

We examine monthly variation in weekly work hours using data for 2003-10 from the Current Population Survey (CPS) on hours/worker, from the Current Employment Survey (CES) on hours/job, and from the American Time Use Survey (ATUS) on both. The ATUS data minimize recall difficulties and constrain hours of work to accord with total available time. The ATUS hours/worker are less cyclical than the CPS series, but the hours/job are more cyclical than the CES series. We present alternative estimates of productivity based on ATUS data and find that it is more pro-cyclical than other productivity measures.

Suggested Citation

  • Burda, Michael C. & Hamermesh, Daniel S. & Stewart, Jay, 2013. "Cyclical variation in labor hours and productivity using the ATUS," SFB 649 Discussion Papers 2013-015, Humboldt University Berlin, Collaborative Research Center 649: Economic Risk.
    • Handle: RePEc:zbw:sfb649:sfb649dp2013-015
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jordi Galí & Thijs van Rens, 2021. "The Vanishing Procyclicality of Labour Productivity [Why have business cycle fluctuations become less volatile?]," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 131(633), pages 302-326.
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    5. Casey B. Mulligan, 2011. "Rising Labor Productivity during the 2008-9 Recession," NBER Working Papers 17584, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    6. Harley Frazis & Jay Stewart, 2010. "Why Do BLS Hours Series Tell Different Stories About Trends in Hours Worked?," NBER Chapters, in: Labor in the New Economy, pages 343-372, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    7. Juster, F Thomas & Stafford, Frank P, 1991. "The Allocation of Time: Empirical Findings, Behavioral Models, and Problems of Measurement," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 29(2), pages 471-522, June.
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    9. Harley Frazis & Jay Stewart, 2010. "Why Do BLS Hours Series Tell Different Stories About Trends in Hours Worked?," NBER Chapters, in: Labor in the New Economy, pages 343-372, National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
    10. Marcus Hagedorn & Iourii Manovskii, 2011. "Productivity And The Labor Market: Comovement Over The Business Cycle," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 52(3), pages 603-619, August.
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    Cited by:

    1. Daniel S. Hamermesh & Katie R. Genadek & Michael C. Burda, 2021. "Racial/Ethnic Differences in Non-Work at Work," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 74(2), pages 272-292, March.
    2. Jordi Galí & Thijs van Rens, 2021. "The Vanishing Procyclicality of Labour Productivity [Why have business cycle fluctuations become less volatile?]," The Economic Journal, Royal Economic Society, vol. 131(633), pages 302-326.
    3. Scharadin, Benjamin, 2022. "The efficacy of the dependent care deduction at maintaining diet quality," Food Policy, Elsevier, vol. 107(C).
    4. Burda, Michael & Hamermesh, Daniel S. & Genadek, Katie R., 2017. "Non-Work at Work, Unemployment and Labor Productivity," CEPR Discussion Papers 12087, C.E.P.R. Discussion Papers.
    5. Burda, Michael C. & Genadek, Katie & Hamermesh, Daniel S., 2015. "Not working at work: Loafing, unemployment and labor productivity," SFB 649 Discussion Papers 2015-033, Humboldt University Berlin, Collaborative Research Center 649: Economic Risk.
    6. Poeschel, Friedrich, 2012. "Assortative matching through signals," VfS Annual Conference 2012 (Goettingen): New Approaches and Challenges for the Labor Market of the 21st Century 62061, Verein für Socialpolitik / German Economic Association.
    7. , Jafar & Singh, Tejendra Pratap, 2023. "Peace of Mind: Examining Election-Induced Anxiety among Minorities in India," OSF Preprints hpu5y, Center for Open Science.
    8. repec:hum:wpaper:sfb649dp2017-019 is not listed on IDEAS
    9. Michael C. Burda, 2018. "Aggregate labor productivity," IZA World of Labor, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), pages 435-435, April.
    10. Jay Stewart & Harley Frazis, 2019. "The importance and challenges of measuring work hours," IZA World of Labor, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA), pages 1-95, July.
    11. repec:hum:wpaper:sfb649dp2015-033 is not listed on IDEAS
    12. Michael C. Burda & Katie R. Genadek & Daniel S. Hamermesh, 2020. "Unemployment and Effort at Work," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 87(347), pages 662-681, July.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    time use; business cycles; productivity; ATUS; labor hoarding;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • E23 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Production
    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply

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