Time-crunch: Impact of time spent in paid and unpaid work, and its division in families

Using a sample representative of the Canadian population aged 30-59, we assess the extent to which various aspects of work-life balance - in particular, time spent in both paid and unpaid work, and its division in families - produce stressful life conditions. We find that time-crunch is affected largely by the number of hours spent doing paid work, regardless of the type of work being done. The number of hours spent on unpaid work has less impact on time-crunch, though the effect is slightly stronger for women than it is for men. Moreover, being married appears to mitigate the effect of unpaid work on women's time-crunch. Finally, for both men and women, our results suggest that time-crunch is highest for those in family models with complementary roles.