Finding time for each other?

Did you know that finding time for each other can be a problem for many couples. In times past you may have chatted for hours without realizing it. Nowadays though squeezing a quick cuppa to catch up on the days events can seem like challenge. Fitting in time together can seem pretty low on the list. But spending 10 minutes together can make all the difference to how you feel. Below you can find some interesting statistics about how other couples spend their time.

How many hours do people work?

• 61% of men in employment (the largest group) worked between 31 and 45 hours. Followed by 28% working more than 45 hours.
• For women the largest group at 49% were also working between 31 and 45 hours per week. The second largest group at 29% were those working between 16 and 30 hours. (1)
• In Quarter 2 of 2008 79% of the working age population were economically active. (3)

How long do people spend doing housework?

• On average women spend over 2 hours and 30 minutes a day doing housework: cooking, washing up, cleaning and ironing- 1 hour and 30 minutes more than men. Both sexes spend similar lengths of time gardening or looking after pets. DIY and car maintenance are the only chores that men, in general, spend more time on than women.

What do people spend their free time doing?

• The most common leisure activity in the UK is watching TV with 82% of adults spending their time in front of the box. This was followed by 75% of spending time with friends and family. Women are slightly more likely than men to spend time with family or friends weekly or nearly every week. (1)

References

1. Self, A. ed. (2008). Social Trends 38. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan. Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queen's Printer for Scotland.
2. National Statistics. (2000). UK time use survey. London: HMSO. Crown copyright material is reproduced with the permission of the Controller of HMSO and the Queen's Printer for Scotland.
3. National Statistics. (2009). Social Trends 39. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.