Daily Working Hour Arrangments and Income of Liberal Professions - New Results from the German Time Use Survey

Abstract

Individual welfare analysis traditionally concentrates on monetary income. Recently the time dimension - the time needed to achieve income - is gaining importance (flexible working hours) for the analysis of income inequalities. Using the German Time Budget Survey 2001/2002 our study examines how the income distribution is influenced by daily working hour arrangements (timing and fragmentation of work). In particular, we investigate the question, if there are significant differences in the daily working hour arrangements between (liberal) professions, entrepreneurs and employees. Further we study how the principal higher time sovereignty of self-employed affects individual income. With our microeconometric analysis we determine which factors significantly contribute to the choice of a daily working hour arrangement as well as to the associated income of professions in particular.