The Transition to Adulthood: A Time Use Perspective

Abstract

This article examines the changes in the patterns of time use of young adults ages eighteen to thirty-four as they make the transition to adulthood. More specifically, it examines the reallocation of time associated with the transition from school to work, the transition to partnership, and the transition to parenthood. The empirical analysis is based on time use surveys from nine industrialized countries. Results suggest that of the three transitions, it is the transition to parenthood that most significantly alters the pattern of time use of young people, more so for women than for men. The empirical analysis also reveals remarkable similarities across countries in the patterns of time use of young people as they make the transition to adulthood.