Family Leisure Trends - US

One of the primary barriers to family leisure time is work. Respondents working full- or part-time spend the least amount of time with family each week (28.1 hours and 27.9 hours, respectively). However, over the past decade there has been a shift in work structure, and the evolution of the work week will likely continue as technology enables more employees to work remotely. Depending on what one considers “working from home,” the number of U.S. telecommuters ranges from between 2.8 million people (only those who consider home their primary place of work, not including the self-employed) and 44.4 million (includes anyone who works at home at least once a year), according an article by Kate Lister posted February 2010 on workshifting.com. An additional number of employees also spend time working from home in the evenings and on weekends. The influx of new technologies that allow employees to connect with work from anywhere at any time means that all the world’s an office. With this lack of structured work time, parents are looking for ways to spend time with family in between work hours, work calls, or virtual meetings.

Mintel’s exclusive consumer research finds that respondents who are self-employed report spending the most time each week with their families, 32.8 hours—about five hours more than those who work full- or part-time. Self-employed respondents are also the most likely to report spending more time with family this year compared to last year (42%, compared with 33-35% among other employment categories). Although self-employment does not necessarily mean that respondents work from home, like work-from-home individuals, they too are more likely to be able to negotiate individual schedules to fit around family life.