Hacker News new | ask | show | jobs
by JASchilz 2863 days ago
There are fewer hours of work done at home now. The increase in leisure time reflects a decrease in total labor: income-earning labor, labor around the house, etc. Figures in [1] break it out a bit, although the years-reflected are a bit different than I used above. Search for "60.9" to find the relevant table.

[1]: https://eh.net/encyclopedia/hours-of-work-in-u-s-history/
1 comments
another-cuppa 2863 days ago
That compares the 1960s to the 1980s. A lot has changed in 30 years. In particular Financialisation has increased dramatically. Are there any more recent figures?

Also, less work being done at home isn't necessarily a good thing. More people eating microwaved ready meals or takeaways probably means lower quality of life overall.

link
JASchilz 2863 days ago
My comment was a rebuttal to the "single income earner" argument which suggests that in the post-war era we labored half as much as we do today.

I've got no other points to defend. But I'm happy to look at any of your points, and I understand and accept the argument that hours of leisure time is not a direct measurement of well-being. (:

link