This post is by Ines Wagner from HBR.org
Three takeaways from the country’s landmark equal-pay policy.
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Three takeaways from the country’s landmark equal-pay policy.
To move toward a fairer world, we need to dismantle the fallacy.
An analysis of 360-degree assessments done during the pandemic.
New research finds that women are more likely to make big bets when important social issues are on the table.
We all have the same 24 hours in a day, but we don’t spend them the same way. Some prioritize family time or household chores, while others cherish a good night’s sleep or seeing friends.
This chart from Our World in Data compares the average time allocated across various day-to-day activities, from paid work to leisurely activities.
The data for the 33 countries profiled come from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)’s Time Use database, for ages 15 through 64 years old.
As the chart shows, basic patterns—work, rest, and play—emerge across the board.
When it comes to paid work, Japan emerges the highest on this list with approximately 6.5 hours per day. However, this country also has some of the highest overtime in a workweek. In contrast, European countries such as France and Spain report nearly half the same hours (less than 3 hours) of paid work per day on average.
Certain trends, however, transcend cultural boundaries. Those in Mexico find themselves spending significant portions of the day (3 hours or more) on housework, as do those in Portugal.
Activity category | Country with highest time spent | Time spent in minutes |
---|---|---|
Paid work | ![]() |
326 (Approx. 6.5 hrs) |
Education | ![]() |
57 |
Care for household members | ![]() |
61 |
Housework | ![]() |
187 (Approx. 3 hrs) |
Shopping | ![]() |
32 |
Other unpaid work & volunteering | ![]() |
98 (Approx. 1.5 hrs) |
Sleep | ![]() |
553 (Approx. 9 hrs) |
Eating | ![]() |
133 (Approx. 2 hours) |
Personal care | ![]() |
107 (Approx. 1 hr 45 min) |
Sports | ![]() |
42 |
Attending events | ![]() |
42 |
Seeing friends | ![]() |
82 |
TV and radio | ![]() |
148 (Approx. 2.5 hrs) |
Other leisure (Religious/ civic duties, or unspecified) |
![]() |
154 (Approx. 2.5 hrs) |
As the saying goes, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. In the realm of leisure activities, those in the U.S. spend approximately 2.5 hours consuming media in a day, a number that has risen even higher during the pandemic.
Meanwhile, another interesting cultural pattern is that people in France spend the most time eating, approximately 2 hours per day. These durations are similar to those in other Mediterranean countries such as Greece, Italy, and Spain—perhaps because meals are viewed as a social activity in these cultures.
Digging deeper, another way to look at how people spend their time globally is through the lens of gender.
Women spend nearly three times more in unpaid care work compared to men—a whopping total of 1.1 trillion hours each year—which means a lot less leisure time. This inequality is clearly defined by country in the following scatterplot:
In Norway, both men and women have equally high levels of leisure time—though it’s a rare example of such a case.
Meanwhile, in countries like India or China, significant gender gaps prevent women from moving up the socioeconomic ladder, potentially costing trillions of dollars to the global economy.
The post Chart: A Global Look at How People Spend Their Time appeared first on Visual Capitalist.
We all have the same 24 hours in a day, but we don’t spend them the same way. Some prioritize family time or household chores, while others cherish a good night’s sleep or seeing friends.
This chart from Our World in Data compares the average time allocated across various day-to-day activities, from paid work to leisurely activities.
The data for the 33 countries profiled come from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)’s Time Use database, for ages 15 through 64 years old.
As the chart shows, basic patterns—work, rest, and play—emerge across the board.
When it comes to paid work, Japan emerges the highest on this list with approximately 5.5 hours per day. However, this country also has some of the highest overtime in a workweek. In contrast, European countries such as France and Spain report nearly half the same hours (less than 3 hours) of paid work per day on average.
Certain trends, however, transcend cultural boundaries. Those in Mexico find themselves spending significant portions of the day (3 hours or more) on housework, as do those in Portugal.
Activity category | Country with highest time spent | Time spent in minutes |
---|---|---|
Paid work | ![]() |
326 (Approx. 5.5 hrs) |
Education | ![]() |
57 |
Care for household members | ![]() |
61 |
Housework | ![]() |
187 (Approx. 3 hrs) |
Shopping | ![]() |
32 |
Other unpaid work & volunteering | ![]() |
98 (Approx. 1.5 hrs) |
Sleep | ![]() |
553 (Approx. 9 hrs) |
Eating | ![]() |
133 (Approx. 2 hours) |
Personal care | ![]() |
107 (Approx. 1 hr 45 min) |
Sports | ![]() |
42 |
Attending events | ![]() |
42 |
Seeing friends | ![]() |
82 |
TV and radio | ![]() |
148 (Approx. 2.5 hrs) |
Other leisure (Religious/ civic duties, or unspecified) |
![]() |
154 (Approx. 2.5 hrs) |
As the saying goes, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. In the realm of leisure activities, those in the U.S. spend approximately 2.5 hours consuming media in a day, a number that has risen even higher during the pandemic.
Meanwhile, another interesting cultural pattern is that people in France spend the most time eating, approximately 2 hours per day. These durations are similar to those in other Mediterranean countries such as Greece, Italy, and Spain—perhaps because meals are viewed as a social activity in these cultures.
Digging deeper, another way to look at how people spend their time globally is through the lens of gender.
Women spend nearly three times more in unpaid care work compared to men—a whopping total of 1.1 trillion hours each year—which means a lot less leisure time. This inequality is clearly defined by country in the following scatterplot:
In Norway, both men and women have equally high levels of leisure time—though it’s a rare example of such a case.
Meanwhile, in countries like India or China, significant gender gaps prevent women from moving up the socioeconomic ladder, potentially costing trillions of dollars to the global economy.
The post Chart: A Global Look at How People Spend Their Time appeared first on Visual Capitalist.
More than 1,000 researchers also sign letter after Black expert on ethics says Google tried to suppress her research on bias
Hundreds of Google employees and more than 1,000 academic researchers are speaking out in protest after a prominent Black scientist studying the ethics of artificial intelligence said she was fired by Google after the company attempted to suppress her research and she criticized its diversity efforts.
Timnit Gebru, who was the technical co-lead of Google’s Ethical AI team, wrote on Twitter on Wednesday that she had been fired after sending an email to an internal group for women and allies working in the company’s AI unit.
More than 1,500 researchers also sign letter after Black expert on ethics says Google tried to suppress her research on bias
More than 1,200 Google employees and more than 1,500 academic researchers are speaking out in protest after a prominent Black scientist studying the ethics of artificial intelligence said she was fired by Google after the company attempted to suppress her research and she criticized its diversity efforts.
Timnit Gebru, who was the technical co-lead of Google’s Ethical AI team, wrote on Twitter on Wednesday that she had been fired after sending an email to an internal group for women and allies working in the company’s AI unit.
Even well-intentioned organizations inadvertently reinforce outdated gender norms.
Even well-intentioned organizations inadvertently reinforce outdated gender norms.