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Nova Scotians working more hours with less leisure time than 10 years ago - study

Published on September 23rd, 2008
Published on January 3rd, 2010
The Canadian Press
Topics :
GPI Atlantic , Statistics Canada , Saint Mary's University , HALIFAX , Nova Scotia , Netherlands

HALIFAX - A new study says Nova Scotians are working more hours than ever as their free time shrinks.
The report, by Nova Scotia-based research group GPI Atlantic, says on average workers are putting in a months' more of extra paid work time than they did 10 years ago.
The data is drawn from Statistics Canada's General Social Survey time use diaries gathered in 1992, 1998 and 2005.
The GPI report found single working mothers to be the group most affected by loss of free time, which has shrunk by 2.7 hours a day or nearly 19 hours a week.
Lead author, professor Andrew Harvey of Saint Mary's University, says working single mothers have to work longer hours to make ends meet, because of cuts to social service payments following deep cuts to federal social transfers to the provinces in the 1990s.
The report also looked at how free time is spent and found that 40 per cent is used to watch television, 26 per cent is spent socializing and 20 per cent is spent on sports and other active leisure pursuits.
The study recommends that Nova Scotia look to the Netherlands where work hours have been reduced and free time increased by improving conditions of part-time work such as pay rates and benefits.

Comments

  • Username
    Ron
    - January 18th, 2010 at 11:12:19

    This is an easy one. Nova Scotians are working more hours because after they've been taxed and retaxed, service charged, overcharged, and just plain charged over and over again for everything from alphabet soup to power and fuel costs, how else are they going to make ends meet?
    Maybe Jason and Frank are still at work.... trying to make enough to pay for internet access.

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  • Username
    S.
    - January 18th, 2010 at 11:08:47

    When a miniumn wage paycheck can actually allow a person to work a 40 hour week and pay for all his needs-then and only then will we have some free time.Don't hold your breath on this one,for you will need it to keep working that overtime.

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  • Username
    Con
    - January 18th, 2010 at 10:47:03

    How is it that Jason Warham and/or Frank Speaker have not yet found the time to comment on this particular story?
    Huge Baloney working OT??

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  • Username
    Jason
    - January 18th, 2010 at 10:46:26

    sorry I would've commented sooner but I was working overtime to gain money to pay off student loans, feed my baby, and satisfy my employer. LOL

    I don't have time for this. LOL

    Submit a Comment

  • Username
    Snoose
    - January 18th, 2010 at 10:42:31

    Hmmm, I don't remember the last time I had ANY free time? Between his job, my job, kids, cats, oil, electricity & food bills, who in the he$$ has any time but for work!?!?
    Oh, throw in an aging parent & grandparents and the stew thickens! not to mention a bit of volunteering on the side...*phew*
    I'm getting tired just re-reading this,lol...but I guess all this typing could be considered free time. ;o)
    Where are ol' Jason & Frank anyway??

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