Working Paper: NBER ID: w18603
Authors: Michael C. Burda; Daniel S. Hamermesh; Jay Stewart
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.
Keywords: Labor Hours; Productivity; Cyclical Variation; American Time Use Survey
JEL Codes: E23; J22
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| ATUS-derived hours worked (apers) (J22) | CPS-derived hours (cpsall) (J39) |
| CPS-derived hours (cpsall) (J39) | cyclical decline in hours during the Great Recession (J29) |
| job-based hours (ajob) (J22) | CES hours (cespns) (A30) |
| unemployment rise (J64) | productivity measures based on ATUS data decline (J29) |
| cyclical behavior of labor productivity (based on ATUS hours) (J29) | differing interpretations of labor productivity over the business cycle (E24) |