Stressed Out on Four Continents: Time Crunch or Yuppie Kvetch?

29 Pages Posted: 7 Nov 2005

See all articles by Daniel S. Hamermesh

Daniel S. Hamermesh

University of Texas at Austin - Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER); IZA Institute of Labor Economics

Jungmin Lee

IZA Institute of Labor Economics; FIU

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: October 2005

Abstract

Social commentators have pointed to problems of workers who face "time stress" - an absence of sufficient time to accomplish all their tasks. An economic theory views time stress as reflecting how tightly the time constraint binds households. Time stress will be more prevalent in households with higher full earnings and whose members work longer in the market or on "required" homework. Evidence from Australia (2001), Germany (2002), the United States (2003) and Korea (1999) corroborates the theory. Adults in households with higher earnings perceive more time stress for the same amount of time spent in market work and household work. The importance of higher full earnings in generating time stress is not small, particularly in U.S. - much is "yuppie kvetch."

Keywords: time stress, household production, feeling rushed

JEL Classification: J22

Suggested Citation

Hamermesh, Daniel S. and Lee, Jungmin and Lee, Jungmin, Stressed Out on Four Continents: Time Crunch or Yuppie Kvetch? (October 2005). IZA Discussion Paper No. 1815, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=840748 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.840748

Daniel S. Hamermesh (Contact Author)

University of Texas at Austin - Department of Economics ( email )

Austin, TX 78712
United States
512-475-8526 (Phone)
512-471-3510 (Fax)

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

IZA Institute of Labor Economics

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

Jungmin Lee

IZA Institute of Labor Economics

P.O. Box 7240
Bonn, D-53072
Germany

FIU ( email )

University Park
11200 SW 8th Street
Miami, FL 33199
United States

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