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Products and services > Downloadable Publications > 75F0010XIE

Labour market and income data guide
December 2000
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General Social Survey on Time Use

Description: collects diary data on individuals for a reference day; provides statistics on average time spent per day on a series of activities such as paid work, unpaid work and leisure time

Who/what was surveyed: persons aged 15 and over residing in private dwellings in the 10 provinces of Canada

How the data were collected: telephone interviews from approximately 10,000 respondents selected by random digit dialing

Geographic detail: Canada and provinces

Demographic detail: age, sex, marital status, household composition, mother tongue, religion, year of immigration

Information collected:

1. start and end time of each activity, duration, activity type, where and with whom
2. work experience (weeks worked last year, occupation and industry last week, work arrangement)
3. annual income of respondent and of household

Frequency: quinquennial; conducted in 1986, 1992 and 1998

Sample size: Approximately 10,000 individuals

Data availability: data are available for years 1986, 1992 and 1998

Reference period: for the diary, one or two days prior to the interview; depends on the variable

Response rates: 79% in 1986, 77% in 1992, estimated 78% in 1998

What makes the data valuable:
 1. measure trends in time use
2. provide data on perception and attitudes on time use
3. allow for analysis by wide variety of socio-demographic variables

Products and services:
1. Where Does Time Go? (based on 1986 data, Catalogue no. 11-612-MPE, no. 4)
2. As Time Goes By…Time Use of Canadians (based on 1992 data, Catalogue no. 89-544-XPE)
3. General Social Survey: Overview of the Time Use of Canadians, 1998, Catalogue Number 12F0080XIE, available free of charge at www.statcan.cawww.statcan.ca
4. Canadian Social Trends articles, Catalogue No. 11-008-XPE

) Time Use of Canadians, Autumn, 1993, no. 30
b) Are You Time Crunched, Winter 1993, no. 31
c) Sport Participation in Canada, Spring 1995, no. 36
d) Measuring & Valuing Households’ Unpaid Work, Autumn 1996, no. 42
e) Working Arrangements and Time Stress, Winter 1996, no. 43
f) Canadian Television in Transition, Spring 1997, no. 44
g) The Leisurely Pursuit of Reading, Autumn 1997, no. 46
h) Traffic report: Weekday commuting patterns – spring 2000, no.56

5. Perspectives on Labour and Income (Catalogue no. 75-001-XPE), quarterly, Summer 1994: Getting there
6. Public use microdata files are available for each year of the survey.
7. Special tabulations meeting specific user requirements are available on a cost-recovery basis

Responsible division: Housing, Family and Social Statistics


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Date Modified: 2003-11-07 Important Notices