Marital break-ups not linked to working hours, report finds

12 June 2009

There is no evidence to support the widely-held belief that long working weeks are associated with increased likelihood of marital breakdown, according to the latest release from the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey.

Analysis of the HILDA survey data by Professor Mark Wooden and Markus Hahn found that once other factors affecting the risk of separation are accounted for, the likelihood of separation is relatively low among couples where the man is working more than 40 hours each week.

"The optimal work arrangement appears to be where the man works a 41 to 49 hour week," says Professor Wooden.

"Beyond this the risk of separation does rise, but it is still lower than for couples where the male works a 35 to 40 hour work week."

The survey does however establish a link between long work weeks and a higher likelihood of smoking, but only among men.

Wooden and Hahn suggest that the results are consistent with the idea that long hours of work act as a barrier to quitting.

Commuting times rise across the board

Among the report's other findings were that average commuting times have increased slightly between 2002 and 2006 from 3.5 hours to 3.6 hours per week.
Brisbane had the largest increase of the capital cities, rising from 4.2 hours to 5 hours per week.

Average commuting times also tend to be ordered by city size, with Sydney having the highest average commuting time of 5.4 hours in 2002, increasing to 5.8 hours in 2006, followed by Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and finally Adelaide.

Real earnings grow steadily

The HILDA report found real earnings had grown reasonably steadily over the 2001 to 2006 period. Average earnings at September 2006 prices grew from $770 in 2001 to $832 in 2006, an 8% increase.

The growth was shared by part-time workers and full-time workers, with average weekly earnings of part-time employees increasing by 10% to $364 and average weekly earnings of full-time employees increasing by 9% to $1,048.

The wages of workers who changed jobs were more likely to have increased. Of those who stayed in the same job, the average percentage change in hourly earnings from one year to the next fluctuated between 4.5% and 6.8% in the 2001 to 2006 year range.

For those who changed jobs, the average change was mostly about 9% to 10%.

Pay and hours the source of most dissatisfaction

Where job satisfaction is concerned, the HILDA survey found workers are most dissatisfied with their pay and the hours they work.

In the 2006 data, the aspect of their job workers are most satisfied with is job security.

The HILDA Survey Annual Statistical Report - Families, Incomes and Jobs, Volume 4

Original article – Workplace Express - http://www.workplaceexpress.com.au/