Abstract

Time-use statistics offer insights into how people divide their time between paid work, unpaid care, household activities, and leisure. Yet these data are rarely used in economic analysis or discussions of growth policy. This presentation explores how time-use statistics can help identify constraints on labor productivity and opportunities for economic growth. Drawing on emerging work from the Time for Growth Collaborative, it considers how time-use data can be combined with household surveys, national accounts, and economic models to better understand the links between time allocation, economic participation, and growth. It also discusses the data needs and methodological challenges involved in this type of analysis. The goal is to show how time-use evidence can help policymakers identify overlooked barriers to productivity and make a stronger economic case for investments that reduce demands on people's time.