Nothing Special   »   [go: up one dir, main page]
IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/tem/wpaper/2102.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Luxuries, Necessities, and the Allocation of Time

Author

Listed:
  • Lei Fang

    (Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta)

  • Anne Hannusch

    (Department of Economics, University of Mannheim)

  • Pedro Silos

    (Department of Economics, Temple University)

Abstract
We develop and estimate a novel framework for thinking about the allocation of time by revisiting Becker’s notion that the opportunity cost of time is determined by activities other than market work. These activities are produced by combining time and goods. We document that households engage in two types of activities: luxuries and necessities. An increasing share of time and goods is allocated to luxuries as wages rise. The opposite is true for necessities. To rationalize these facts, we estimate a model with non-homothetic preferences in time use. We use the model to study the effect of wage changes and price changes on hours worked, the allocation of time and goods to activities, and welfare. Our results show that households compensate rises in activity prices or reductions in wages by shifting fromluxuries to necessities. Since activities are highly substitutable and the activity production inputs time and goods can be substituted to a lesser extent, households are able to absorb some of the reduction in income by shifting to time-intensive necessities. As a result, household welfare declines less than income. We argue that these findings have novel implications for thinking about cross-sectional differences in hours worked and the relation between income and welfare inequality.

Suggested Citation

  • Lei Fang & Anne Hannusch & Pedro Silos, 2021. "Luxuries, Necessities, and the Allocation of Time," DETU Working Papers 2102, Department of Economics, Temple University.
    • Handle: RePEc:tem:wpaper:2102
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.cla.temple.edu/RePEc/documents/DETU_21_02.pdf
    File Function: First version, 2021
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Other versions of this item:

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. L. Rachel Ngai & Barbara Petrongolo, 2017. "Gender Gaps and the Rise of the Service Economy," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 9(4), pages 1-44, October.
    2. Benjamin Bridgman, 2016. "Engines of Leisure," BEA Working Papers 0137, Bureau of Economic Analysis.
    3. Kelly S. Ragan, 2013. "Taxes and Time Use: Fiscal Policy in a Household Production Model," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 5(1), pages 168-192, January.
    4. Reto Foellmi & Josef Zweimuller, 2006. "Income Distribution and Demand-Induced Innovations," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 73(4), pages 941-960.
    5. Benhabib, Jess & Rogerson, Richard & Wright, Randall, 1991. "Homework in Macroeconomics: Household Production and Aggregate Fluctuations," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 99(6), pages 1166-1187, December.
    6. Timo Boppart & L. Rachel Ngai, 2021. "Rising inequality and trends in leisure," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 26(2), pages 153-185, June.
    7. Richard Rogerson, 2008. "Structural Transformation and the Deterioration of European Labor Market Outcomes," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 116(2), pages 235-259, April.
    8. Mark Aguiar & Erik Hurst & Loukas Karabarbounis, 2012. "Recent Developments in the Economics of Time Use," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 4(1), pages 373-397, July.
    9. Conny Olovsson, 2009. "Why Do Europeans Work So Little?," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 50(1), pages 39-61, February.
    10. McGrattan, Ellen R & Rogerson, Richard & Wright, Randall, 1997. "An Equilibrium Model of the Business Cycle with Household Production and Fiscal Policy," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 38(2), pages 267-290, May.
    11. Mark Aguiar & Erik Hurst, 2007. "Life-Cycle Prices and Production," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 97(5), pages 1533-1559, December.
    12. Karen A. Kopecky, 2011. "The Trend In Retirement," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 52(2), pages 287-316, May.
    13. Joachim Hubmer, 2019. "The Race Between Preferences and Technology," 2019 Meeting Papers 1430, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    14. Duernecker, Georg & Herrendorf, Berthold, 2018. "On the allocation of time – A quantitative analysis of the roles of taxes and productivities," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 169-187.
    15. Boerma, Job & Karabarbounis, Loukas, 2020. "Labor market trends and the changing value of time," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 115(C).
    16. Alexandr Kopytov & Nikolai Roussanov & Mathieu Taschereau-Dumouchel, 2023. "Cheap Thrills: The Price of Leisure and the Global Decline in Work Hours," Journal of Political Economy Macroeconomics, University of Chicago Press, vol. 1(1), pages 80-118.
    17. Fang, Lei & Zhu, Guozhong, 2017. "Time allocation and home production technology," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 88-101.
    18. Dirk Krueger & Fabrizio Perri, 2006. "Does Income Inequality Lead to Consumption Inequality? Evidence and Theory -super-1," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 73(1), pages 163-193.
    19. L. Rachel Ngai & Christopher A. Pissarides, 2011. "Taxes, Social Subsidies, and the Allocation of Work Time," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 3(4), pages 1-26, October.
    20. Mark Aguiar & Erik Hurst, 2007. "Measuring Trends in Leisure: The Allocation of Time Over Five Decades," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 122(3), pages 969-1006.
    21. Cara McDaniel, 2011. "Forces Shaping Hours Worked in the OECD, 1960-2004," American Economic Journal: Macroeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 3(4), pages 27-52, October.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Robert Duval‐Hernández & Lei Fang & L. Rachel Ngai, 2023. "Taxes, subsidies and gender gaps in hours and wages," Economica, London School of Economics and Political Science, vol. 90(358), pages 373-408, April.
    2. Fang, Lei & Yang, Fang, 2022. "Consumption and hours in the United States and Europe," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 144(C).
    3. Duernecker, Georg & Herrendorf, Berthold, 2018. "On the allocation of time – A quantitative analysis of the roles of taxes and productivities," European Economic Review, Elsevier, vol. 102(C), pages 169-187.
    4. Bridgman, Benjamin & Duernecker, Georg & Herrendorf, Berthold, 2018. "Structural transformation, marketization, and household production around the world," Journal of Development Economics, Elsevier, vol. 133(C), pages 102-126.
    5. Robert Duval-Hernandez & Lei Fang & L. Rachel Ngai, 2017. "Taxes and Market Hours: The Role of Gender and Skill," FRB Atlanta Working Paper 2017-8, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
    6. Lei Fang & Fang Yang, 2021. "Consumption and Hours between the United States and France," FRB Atlanta Working Paper 2021-7, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
    7. Lei Fang & Anne Hannusch & Pedro Silos, 2020. "Bundling Time and Goods: Implications for Hours Dispersion," DETU Working Papers 2003, Department of Economics, Temple University.
    8. Duval-Hernández, Robert & Fang, Lei & Ngai, L. Rachel, 2023. "Taxes, subsidies, and gender gaps in hours and wages," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 118061, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    9. Fang Lei & McDaniel Cara, 2017. "Home hours in the United States and Europe," The B.E. Journal of Macroeconomics, De Gruyter, vol. 17(1), pages 1-27, January.
    10. Fang, Lei & Zhu, Guozhong, 2017. "Time allocation and home production technology," Journal of Economic Dynamics and Control, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 88-101.
    11. Fabio Cerina & Alessio Moro & Michelle Rendall, 2021. "The Role Of Gender In Employment Polarization," International Economic Review, Department of Economics, University of Pennsylvania and Osaka University Institute of Social and Economic Research Association, vol. 62(4), pages 1655-1691, November.
    12. Timo Boppart & L. Rachel Ngai, 2021. "Rising inequality and trends in leisure," Journal of Economic Growth, Springer, vol. 26(2), pages 153-185, June.
    13. Robert Duval-Hernandez & Lei Fang & L. Rachel Ngai, 2021. "Taxes, Subsidies, and Gender Gaps in Hours and Wages," FRB Atlanta Working Paper 2021-17, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.
    14. Lei Fang & Anne Hannusch & Pedro Silos, 2019. "Back to Becker: Producing Consumption with Time and Goods," 2019 Meeting Papers 1386, Society for Economic Dynamics.
    15. Edgar Cruz & Xavier Raurich, 2020. "Leisure time and the sectoral composition of employment," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 38, pages 198-219, October.
    16. Benjamin Bridgman, 2016. "Engines of Leisure," BEA Working Papers 0137, Bureau of Economic Analysis.
    17. Michelle Rendall, 2018. "Female Market Work, Tax Regimes, and the Rise of the Service Sector," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 28, pages 269-289, April.
    18. Alexander Bick & Nicola Fuchs-Schündeln, 2018. "Taxation and Labour Supply of Married Couples across Countries: A Macroeconomic Analysis," The Review of Economic Studies, Review of Economic Studies Ltd, vol. 85(3), pages 1543-1576.
    19. Duval-Hernandez, Robert & Fang, Lei & Ngai, L. Rachel, 2018. "Social subsidies and marketization - the role of gender and skill," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 87181, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    20. Michelle Rendall, 2018. "Female Market Work, Tax Regimes, and the Rise of the Service Sector," Review of Economic Dynamics, Elsevier for the Society for Economic Dynamics, vol. 28, pages 269-289, April.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    Time Allocation; Consumption Expenditures; Elasticity of Substitution; Labor Supply; Non-homothetic Preferences;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • E21 - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics - - Consumption, Saving, Production, Employment, and Investment - - - Consumption; Saving; Wealth
    • D11 - Microeconomics - - Household Behavior - - - Consumer Economics: Theory

    NEP fields

    This paper has been announced in the following NEP Reports:

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:tem:wpaper:2102. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Dimitrios Diamantaras (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/edtemus.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.