Differences in US-German Time-Allocation: Why Do Americans Work Longer Hours than Germans?

Arbeitspapier

The conventional view is that Americans work longer hours than Germans and other Europeans but when time in household production is included, overall working time is very similar on both sides of the Atlantic. Americans spend more time on market work but German invest more in household production. This paper examines whether these differences in the allocation of time can be explained by differences in the incentive structure, this is by the taxwedge and differences in the wage differentials, as economic theory suggests. Its analysis of unique time-use data reveals that the differences in time-allocation patterns can indeed be explained by economic variables.

Object Details

• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Series: IZA Discussion Papers ; No. 697

Classification and Topics

• Classification: Wirtschaft ; Consumer Economics: Empirical Analysis ; Time Allocation and Labor Supply ; Fiscal Policies and Behavior of Economic Agents: Household ; Household Production and Intrahousehold Allocation
• Subject: time use ; working hours ; employment ; household production ; Arbeitszeit ; Hausarbeit ; Zeitallokation ; Haushaltsproduktion ; Steuerbelastung ; Lohnstruktur ; Vereinigte Staaten ; Deutschland

Contributors, Places and Time

• Event: Geistige Schöpfung
• (who): Schettkat, Ronald
• Event: Veröffentlichung
• (who): Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA)
• (where): Bonn
• (when): 2003

Further information

• Handle: http://hdl.handle.net/10419/20640
• Last update: 10.03.2025, 11:43 AM CET