Time Use Survey 2008/2009

Summary

Strengths: The data from this survey can be linked with Microcensus data and the use of HETUS design allows for international comparability. Weaknesses: The voluntary nature of the study allows for the possibility that people engaged in time-consuming work/activities are less likely to participate and are, thus, likely underrepresented in the study. The data is not stratified by age and the fee required for access to microdata may be prohibitive.

Type of data

Data Source
Survey

Type of Study
Crosssection occasional

Data gathering method
Face-to-face

Access to data

Conditions of access

Type of available data (e.g. anonymised microdata, aggregated tables, etc.)
Anonymised Microdata

Formats available
SPSS

Coverage

Coverage Years of collection, reference years, and sample sizes
The survey was carried out in 1981, 1999, and 2008/2009. During the 2008/2009 wave, the sample size was 4,757 households.

First year of collection
1981 (2008/2009)

Stratification if applicable
Sex, degree of urbanization (population density)

Base used for sampling

Geographical coverage and breakdowns
By state (Bundesland) and settlement areas. Population density of communities is defined as: 1) Thickly settled areas: area with at least 50,000 residents and more than 500 residents/km²; 2) Average population density: areas with at least 50,000 residents and between 100 and 500 residents/km²; 3) Low population density: all other areas

Age range
Population aged 10 and over

Statistical representativeness
Population representative

Coverage of main and cross-cutting topics
Data collected on division of daily schedule among various activities including professional employment, leisure time, and child care, and location of these same activities (at home, outside the home) Corresponds to Social and Civic Engagement and Work and Productivity Topics

Linkage

Standardisation
HETUS (Harmonised European Time Use Surveys)

Possibility of linkage among databases
Linkage to Microcensus/Labour force survey possible

Data quality

Entry errors if applicable
Entries in the day diary (Tagebuch) were scanned in, and responses to interview questions entered by hand. A plausibilty check was conducted on raw data files and data was compared to the Microcensus data. Any missing data was not imputed, instead, the code "Activities not otherwise specified" was assigned to incomplete data.

Breaks
No breaks reported

Consistency of terminology or coding used during collection
Terminology has changed over the course of the three Time Use Surveys, rendering comparabilty difficult.

Governance

Contact information
Sonja Ghassemi-Bömisch and Christa Kronsteiner-Mann/Statistik Austria
Carried out by Statistik Austria at the request of the Ministry for Women and Public Service
Guglgasse 13
1110 Wien Austria Phone: Sonja Ghassemi-Bönisch: 00431711267103 / Christa Kronsteiner-Mann: 00431711287026
Email: sonja.ghassemi-boemisch(at)statistik.gv.at / christa.kronsteiner-mann(at)statistik.gv.at
Url: http://www.statistik.at/web_de/statistiken/soziales/zeitverwendung/zeitverwendungserhebung/index.html

Timeliness, transparency
Data was collected between March 2008 and April 2009. The main findings were published in August 2010 and the microdata became available in December 2010.