In many ways, time spent on unpaid work and care is not considered productive time in our society. However, the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted that many social and health systems are greatly supported by unpaid work. This survey will assess how much time Canadians actually spend doing unpaid work and caring for others, which will help the government in valuing this unpaid work, and support those who need to make economic, social and healthcare decisions. This survey will specifically gather information about how Canadians share their time between their daily tasks, such as household work, paid work, child and elder care, commuting and personal care.
The survey results will allow researchers to answer the following types of questions:
- Are Canadians getting a healthy amount of sleep? How do sleep trends differ by age?
- How has teleworking affected workers in different industries?
- How much time do mothers and fathers spend on childcare?
Your information may also be used by Statistics Canada for other statistical and research purposes. In addition, information from partially completed or unsaved questionnaires may be retained and used.
-
Block Information Confidentiality
Confidentiality
Data are collected under the authority of the Statistics Act, Revised Statutes of Canada, 1985, Chapter S-19. Your information will be kept strictly confidential.
-
Block Information on Rrecord linkage
Record linkage
To enhance the data from this survey and reduce response burden, Statistics Canada will combine the information you provide with information from your personal and household tax data. Statistics Canada may also combine the information you provide with data from other surveys or administrative sources.
-
Block Information on Topics covered in the survey
Topics covered in the survey
The survey asks questions about:
- general time use
- the 24-hour time-use diary.
-
Block Information on Published data
Published data
Statistics Canada publishes the results of its surveys in many formats. To find all the documents related to this survey, follow the links below and type the name of the survey in the search engine located at the left of your screen to filter the results.
Data: You will find tables, profiles of a community or region, thematic maps, public use microdata files, and data visualization tools.
Analysis: You will have direct access to Stats in brief (e.g., releases from The Daily, fact sheets), articles and reports, and journals and periodicals.
-
Survey-specific questions
- How long does it take to complete the questionnaire?
- How was I selected to participate?
- What practical use is there to knowing about the ways Canadians spend their time?
- Why does Statistics Canada collect information about gender and sex?
- Why does Statistics Canada want to know personal information?
- How will you safeguard the confidentiality of my information?
How long does it take to complete the questionnaire?
It will take approximately 40 minutes to complete the questionnaire.
How was I selected to participate?
Households across Canada were selected randomly. The invitation letter or email include instructions on how to identify the person within the household who has been selected to participate.
Although your participation is voluntary, your cooperation is important in order for the information collected to be as accurate and complete as possible.
What practical use is there to knowing about the ways Canadians spend their time?
Time use surveys are an essential source of data used to better understand our economy and society. Time use data are one of the best indicators for unpaid labour, including care work. As the population ages and the ratio of older to younger Canadians increases, governments and healthcare organizations can rely upon time use data to better estimate local needs. The valuation of unpaid work, including care work, provides governments with important information on the cost and time spent providing care. Without this survey, much of this value would be invisible and unaccounted for.
Some of the most important data that the Time Use Survey collects are found in small time periods, which is why we ask you to be specific when completing your diary. For example, to accurately measure how much time Canadians spend commuting to work, even a ten-minute walk or drive is important.
Statistics Canada conducts the Time Use Survey approximately once every five to seven years, which allows researchers to determine trends over time. Analysis of the data can be used to influence policy changes and evaluate the impacts of new policies on Canadians.
Why does Statistics Canada collect information about gender and sex?
Many of Statistics Canada's social surveys ask respondents to identify their sex, which refers to sex assigned at birth. Statistics Canada has started to modify survey procedures to collect data on gender – either instead of, or in addition to, data on sex assigned at birth.
The concept of sex refers to biological attributes, while gender is a socially constructed concept. Sex and gender are distinct concepts, but can be interrelated.
Being respectful that there are different ways for people to describe themselves, Statistics Canada is working towards an appropriate way of asking gender and sex questions on surveys, while still collecting meaningful data that has comparability to historical data. We are also addressing concerns related to the use of gendered pronouns during survey interviews.
Why does Statistics Canada want to know personal information?
When your data reaches Statistics Canada—whether from surveys or administrative sources—some of it is used to create a demographic profile. Then, we remove personal identifiers and only retain information such as age, gender, and geographical location. This data is merged with that of other people who share the same demographic profile (for example, groupings based on the same age, gender, or geographical location).
Even if questions related to personal information may seem irrelevant to the subject of the survey, they provide a deeper knowledge of respondents' characteristics, which allows us to create a representative sample of the Canadian population. By analyzing this large database, researchers are able to observe emerging patterns and trends and provide important information to governments, non-profit organizations, researchers, and the wider public.
How will you safeguard the confidentiality of my information?
As with all Statistics Canada surveys, any information provided will remain confidential pursuant to the Statistics Act. Statistics Canada takes the privacy of Canadians very seriously. Published data can never identify you or your household.
To find out more about the measures in place to safeguard the confidentiality of your information, visit Statistics Canada's Trust Centre.
- For more information about this survey
Definitions, data sources and methods used
Questionnaire(s) and reporting guide(s)