Assessing the Time‐Squeeze Hypothesis: Hours Worked in the United States, 1969–89

Abstract

This study assesses the hypothesis that hours of work have risen in the United States in recent decades. Using the Current Population Surveys and the University of Michigan Time‐Use Studies, we estimate changes in market and nonmarket hours worked between 1969 and 1989, finding evidence of a “time‐squeeze.” This trend is particularly pronounced among labor force participants who are neither under‐ nor unemployed. For this group, total annual hours of work have risen by 149.