Collecting data on Caregiving and Unpaid work Heather

Collecting data on Care-giving and Unpaid work Heather Dryburgh Statistics Canada

Outline • • Context – Unpaid work module Measuring childcare Measuring care of seniors Measuring unpaid housework

Context • Why is measuring unpaid work important? • Household production Satellite account for System of National Accounts • Recommendations for 2010 round of Censuses

Unpaid service • Unpaid service refers to the contribution of labour to that part of economic activity that is outside the production boundary defined for the System of National Accounts. • It includes the non-market activity of households, such as looking after children without pay, doing laundry, yard work, helping a senior with taking medication, washing the car or shopping. It refers to such activity performed during a specified reference period.

Unpaid work • Good to distinguish between: – Unpaid work for household members – Unpaid work for members of other households – Unpaid volunteer work for an organization

Using Time Use data Example: Valuation of unpaid work (SNA) • Time use data • Calculate time spent in unpaid work • Apply a market occupational value to that time to estimate value of unpaid work – Canada, 1998: Equivalent to 1/3 of GDP

Unpaid work module • Six questions • Childcare – Inside household, outside household • Housework – Inside household, outside household • Senior care – Inside household, outside household

Types of unpaid care • Unpaid child care • Unpaid care or assistance to seniors • (Unpaid care to other adults - not currently collected in the Canadian General Social Survey or Census)

Comparing sources on childcare Time diary Unpaid work module • 24 hour diary • Active childcare • Passive childcare if secondary activity collected • 2 questions • Active and passive childcare grouped together • Care to children in the household • Care to children living outside the household

Unpaid care provided • Unpaid care provided refers to all incidents in which a person provided unpaid service to assist or care for children, seniors or other adults both within and outside his or her household. • It excludes volunteer service through an organization.

Comparability with United Nations recommendations (2010 round of Censuses) Statistics Canada United Nations Unpaid Household Activities Unpaid Services Unpaid Housework Unpaid Work – Looking After Children Unpaid Work – Care or Assistance to Seniors Persons who provide social and personal services to their own household or other households.

Care for Children living in the Household The next few questions refer to unpaid work activities last week. (Last week), how many hours did you spend looking after : …one or more of the children in your household, without pay? INTERVIEWER: Include: - time when the respondent was doing another activity while looking after the children; - time when looking after the children was shared with someone else; - time when the child was having a nap. Exclude: - time the child spent sleeping during the night; - time the child spent at school, at a friend's or in organized activities.

Answer categories: Options A) Fractions should be reported as follows: 1/2 hour =. 5 1/4 hour =. 25 3/4 hour =. 75 (0. 00. . 168. 00) DK, RF B) Was it… 1 None? 2 Less than 5 hours? 3 5 to 14 hours? 4 15 to 29 hours? 5 30 to 59 hours? 6 60 hours or more? DK, RF

Care for Children living outside of the Household The next few questions refer to unpaid work activities last week. (Last week), how many hours did you spend looking after : …one or more children outside of your household, without pay? INTERVIEWER: Include: - time when the respondent was doing another activity while looking after the children; - time when looking after the children was shared with someone else; - time when the child was having a nap. Exclude: - time the child spent sleeping during the night; - time the child spent at school, at a friend's or in organized activities.

Childcare estimates Time Diary Active childcare by participants: Unpaid Work Module Care of children in HH by participants: Men: Women: 12. 6 hours/week 18. 9 hours/week 22. 8 hours/week 48. 7 hours/week Care of children out of HH by participants: Men: Women: 1. 7 hours/week 3. 5 hours/week Total childcare Men: Women: 24. 5 hours/week 52. 2 hours/week

Unpaid care to seniors • Two main sources of information – Detailed survey on care-giving, focus on providing care to seniors – Unpaid work module questions

Comparison of two sources Caregiving survey • Full detailed questionnaire (approx 50 minute interview) • Sample aged 45+ • Care to all ages (can select by age) • Focus on care to people with long-term health condition Unpaid work module • 2 questions • Sample all ages • Care to seniors aged 65+ • “Care or assistance” • Outside HH - Do not know whethere was a senior who needed their help

Detailed care of seniors information • Time spent providing senior care • Characteristics of care provider and receiver • Relationship to care receiver • Type of care provided • Impacts of providing senior care • Unmet care needs of seniors

Unpaid Care or Assistance to Seniors within the Household (Last week), how many hours did you spend providing: …unpaid care or assistance to one or more seniors who live in your household? Same possible answer categories (two options) as child care questions – Open-ended (0 -95), or – Grouped categories

Unpaid Care or Assistance to Seniors outside the Household (Last week), how many hours did you spend providing: …unpaid care or assistance to one or more seniors who live outside of your household? Same possible answer categories (two options) as child care questions – Open-ended (0 -95), or – Grouped categories

Care to seniors Unpaid Work Module Care of seniors in HH by participants: Men: Women: 2. 8 hours/week 4. 1 hours/week Care of seniors out of HH by participants: Men: Women: 0. 5 hours/week 0. 9 hours/week Total senior care Men: Women: 3. 3 hours/week 5. 0 hours/week

Data on housework • Time diary data • Unpaid work module

Unpaid housework • Unpaid housework refers to all incidents in which the person provided unpaid service such as domestic work, yard work or home maintenance for members of his or her household, for other family members outside the household or friends or neighbours. • It refers to such activity performed during a specified reference period. • It excludes volunteer service for an organization.

Unpaid housework • Examples: – preparing meals and associated cleanup, – washing the car, – doing laundry, – ironing, folding and mending, – gardening and cutting the grass, – shopping and household planning as well as associated travel.

Comparison of two sources Time use survey Unpaid work module • 24 hour diary required • Detailed breakdown of types of housework. • Possible to specify what is included in definition of housework • Respondent burden for diary • 2 questions • Housework, yard work, home maintenance grouped together under ‘housework’ • Respondent burden relatively ow for these questions

Unpaid housework within the household (Last week), how many hours did you spend doing: …unpaid housework, yard work or home maintenance for your household? Same possible answer categories (two options) as child care questions – Open-ended (0 -95), or – Grouped categories

Unpaid housework outside the household (Last week), how many hours did you spend doing: …unpaid housework, yard work or home maintenance for persons who live outside your household? Same possible answer categories (two options) as child care questions – Open-ended (0 -95), or – Grouped categories

Housework in HH by participants: Men: Women: 7. 9 hours/week 13. 4 hours/week Housework out of HH by participants: Men: Women: 0. 8 hours/week 0. 7 hours/week Total housework Men: Women: 8. 7 hours/week 14. 1 hours/week

Conclusions • The contribution of unpaid work to the economy and well-being of the country • Measuring unpaid work • Multiple sources, multiple uses of information