Table 1. Time spent in primary activities (1) and percent of the civilian population engaging in each activity, averages per day by sex, 2007 annual averages
Table 1. Time spent in primary activities (1) and percent of the civilian population engaging in each activity,
averages per day by sex, 2007 annual averages
Average hours per day, Average percent engaged Average hours per day
civilian population in the activity per day for persons who engaged
Activity in the activity
Total Men Women Total Men Women Total Men Women
Total, all activities (2)............... 24.00 24.00 24.00 - - - - - -
Personal care activities.............. 9.33 9.14 9.51 100.0 100.0 100.0 9.33 9.14 9.51
Sleeping........................... 8.57 8.52 8.63 99.9 99.9 99.9 8.58 8.53 8.63
Eating and drinking................... 1.24 1.27 1.20 95.4 95.7 95.1 1.30 1.33 1.26
Household activities.................. 1.84 1.43 2.22 74.4 65.6 82.7 2.47 2.18 2.69
Housework.......................... .64 .29 .97 36.2 19.7 51.7 1.76 1.46 1.87
Food preparation and cleanup....... .52 .28 .74 50.8 37.3 63.5 1.02 .75 1.17
Lawn and garden care............... .21 .30 .12 10.3 12.9 7.9 2.00 2.32 1.51
Household management............... .14 .12 .16 18.2 15.2 21.0 .78 .82 .75
Purchasing goods and services......... .78 .63 .92 44.3 40.1 48.2 1.77 1.58 1.92
Consumer goods purchases........... .39 .31 .48 40.6 37.2 43.8 .97 .83 1.09
Professional and personal care
services........................... .09 .06 .12 8.4 6.3 10.4 1.04 .88 1.13
Caring for and helping household
members.............................. .53 .33 .72 25.5 20.3 30.4 2.08 1.62 2.38
Caring for and helping household
children........................... .42 .25 .58 21.8 16.4 26.9 1.92 1.49 2.17
Caring for and helping nonhousehold
members.............................. .20 .17 .23 12.8 10.7 14.8 1.56 1.56 1.56
Caring for and helping nonhousehold
adults............................ .07 .07 .07 8.0 7.2 8.8 .87 .95 .81
Working and work-related activities... 3.81 4.52 3.14 47.8 54.2 41.7 7.98 8.34 7.53
Working............................ 3.47 4.09 2.89 45.9 51.9 40.2 7.56 7.87 7.18
Educational activities................ .43 .41 .44 7.9 7.6 8.2 5.42 5.39 5.44
Attending class.................... .26 .26 .25 5.0 4.9 5.0 5.15 5.20 5.10
Homework and research.............. .14 .12 .15 5.4 4.6 6.0 2.53 2.52 2.54
Organizational, civic, and religious
activities........................... .35 .28 .41 14.5 11.8 17.1 2.42 2.42 2.42
Religious and spiritual activities .15 .11 .18 8.9 6.9 10.8 1.66 1.64 1.67
Volunteering (organizational and
civic activities)................. .16 .13 .18 7.1 6.0 8.2 2.22 2.21 2.23
Leisure and sports.................... 5.11 5.48 4.76 95.8 96.0 95.6 5.33 5.71 4.98
Socializing and communicating...... .73 .67 .78 38.4 35.3 41.4 1.89 1.89 1.89
Watching television................ 2.62 2.88 2.38 79.5 81.4 77.7 3.30 3.54 3.07
Participating in sports, exercise,
and recreation.................... .32 .42 .22 18.5 21.4 15.7 1.71 1.96 1.39
Telephone calls, mail, and e-mail..... .19 .13 .24 24.4 19.1 29.3 .76 .66 .82
Other activities, not elsewhere
classified........................... .20 .20 .19 14.1 13.0 15.1 1.40 1.57 1.26
1 A primary activity refers to an individual's main activity. Other activities done simultaneously are not
included.
2 All major activity categories include related travel time. See Technical Note for activity category
definitions.
- Not applicable.
NOTE: Data refer to persons 15 years and over.
Last Modified Date: June 25, 2008
Bureau of Labor Statistics
