Changes in Working Hours for Couples, 1986 to 2001

Abstract

In New Zealand, the weekly hours worked by individuals have generally not been considered in the context of hours of work of other adults who may live in the same household. Using census data between 1986 and 200 I, this study focuses on total hours of work for couples. The research shows that, for individual workers, while average hours of work have not changed much there has been growth in both short and long weekly hours of paid work. The increase in working hours shows up more strongly in couple data than in individual data. This reflects both an added worker effect and changes in hours worked by individuals living in couples. The data also show that individuals and couples who work the longest hours also tend to have the highest incomes. Finally, international comparative data indicates that New Zealand stands out in terms of the proportion of individuals and couples working long hours.