Data Cart

Your data extract

0 variables
0 time use variables
0 samples
View Cart

Create Time Use Variable

Variable documentation on the web site can be filtered to display only material corresponding to chosen datasets (more information on this feature).

Create variable from scratch

Quit making time use variable


The variables in this group each represent one of the major activity categories in the ATUS activity coding lexicon. Travel time comprises its own category in contrast to the BLS published activity variable groups offered below.


Activity coding structure
Create Copy Name Label
Load ACT_PCARE ACT: Personal care
Load ACT_HHACT ACT: Household activities
Load ACT_CAREHH ACT: Caring for and helping household members
Load ACT_CARENHH ACT: Caring for and helping non-household members
Load ACT_WORK ACT: Working and Work-related Activities
Load ACT_EDUC ACT: Educational activities
Load ACT_PURCH ACT: Consumer purchases
Load ACT_PROFSERV ACT: Professional and personal care services
Load ACT_HHSERV ACT: Household services
Load ACT_GOVSERV ACT: Government services and civic obligations
Load ACT_FOOD ACT: Eat and drinking
Load ACT_SOCIAL ACT: Socializing, relaxing, and leisure
Load ACT_SPORTS ACT: Sports, exercise, and recreation
Load ACT_RELIG ACT: Religious and spiritual activities
Load ACT_VOL ACT: Volunteer activities
Load ACT_PHONE ACT: Telephone calls
Load ACT_TRAVEL ACT: Traveling

The activity groupings the BLS uses in its published tables are different from the major categories in the activity hierarchy. The primary difference is that the published tables combine a major category and its related travel time together. Exceptions are "Purchasing goods and services", "Organizational, civic, and religious activities", "Leisure and sports", and "Telephone calls, mail, and e-mail." This table provides more details.

Researchers should note that despite similarity in naming convention, BLS time use variables do not necessarily nest neatly. For example, the sum of BLS_PCARE_SLEEP, BLS_PCARE_GROOM, BLS_PCARE_HEALTH, BLS_PCARE_ACT, and BLS_PCARE_TRAVEL is not equivalent to BLS_PCARE. BLS_PCARE includes Personal Care Emergencies (ACTIVITY=0105xx) which is not available as a detailed BLS time use variable.


BLS published tables
Create Copy Name Label
Load BLS_PCARE BLS: Personal care
Load BLS_PCARE_SLEEP BLS: Personal care: Sleeping
Load BLS_PCARE_GROOM BLS: Personal care: Grooming
Load BLS_PCARE_HEALTH BLS: Personal care: Health-related self care
Load BLS_PCARE_ACT BLS: Personal care: Personal activities
Load BLS_PCARE_TRAVEL BLS: Personal care: Travel related to personal care
Load BLS_FOOD BLS: Eat and drinking
Load BLS_FOOD_FOOD BLS: Eat and drinking: Eating and drinking
Load BLS_FOOD_TRAVEL BLS: Eating and drinking: Travel related to eating and drinking
Load BLS_HHACT BLS: Household activities
Load BLS_HHACT_HWORK BLS: Household activities: Housework
Load BLS_HHACT_FOOD BLS: Household activities: Food preparation and cleanup
Load BLS_HHACT_LAWN BLS: Household activities: Lawn and garden care
Load BLS_HHACT_HHMGMT BLS: Household activities: Household management
Load BLS_HHACT_INTER BLS: Household activities: Interior maintenance, repair, and decoration
Load BLS_HHACT_EXTER BLS: Household activities: Exterior maintenance, repair, and decoration
Load BLS_HHACT_PET BLS: Household activities: Animals and pets
Load BLS_HHACT_VEHIC BLS: Household activities: Vehicles
Load BLS_HHACT_TOOL BLS: Household activities: Appliances, tools, and toys
Load BLS_HHACT_TRAVEL BLS: Household activities: Travel related to household activities
Load BLS_PURCH BLS: Purchasing goods and services
Load BLS_PURCH_CONS BLS: Purchasing goods and services: Consumer goods purchases
Load BLS_PURCH_GROC BLS: Purchasing goods and services: Grocery shopping
Load BLS_PURCH_PROF BLS: Purchasing goods and services: Professional and personal care services
Load BLS_PURCH_BANK BLS: Purchasing goods and services: Financial services and banking
Load BLS_PURCH_HEALTH BLS: Purchasing goods and services: Medical and care services
Load BLS_PURCH_PCARE BLS: Purchasing goods and services: Personal care services
Load BLS_PURCH_HHSERV BLS: Purchasing goods and services: Household services
Load BLS_PURCH_HOME BLS: Purchasing goods and services: Home maintenance, repair, decoration, and construction (not done by self)
Load BLS_PURCH_VEHIC BLS: Purchasing goods and services: Vehicle maintenance and repair services (not done by self)
Load BLS_PURCH_GOV BLS: Purchasing goods and services: Government services
Load BLS_PURCH_TRAVEL BLS: Purchasing goods and services: Travel related to purchasing goods and services
Load BLS_CAREHH BLS: Caring for and helping household members
Load BLS_CAREHH_KID BLS: Caring for and helping household members: Caring for and helping household children
Load BLS_CAREHH_KIDOTHER BLS: Caring for and helping household members: Caring for and helping household children (except activities related to education and health)
Load BLS_CAREHH_KIDEDUC BLS: Caring for and helping household members: Activities related to household children's education
Load BLS_CAREHH_KIDHEALTH BLS: Caring for and helping household members: Activities related to household children's health
Load BLS_CAREHH_ADULT BLS: Caring for and helping household members: Caring for and helping household adults
Load BLS_CAREHH_TRAVEL BLS: Caring for and helping household members: Travel related to caring for and helping household members
Load BLS_CARENHH BLS: Caring for and helping non-household members
Load BLS_CARENHH_KID BLS: Caring for and helping non-household members: Caring for and helping non-household children
Load BLS_CARENHH_ADULT BLS: Caring for and helping non-household members: Caring for and helping non-household adults
Load BLS_CARENHH_ADULTCARE BLS: Caring for and helping non-household members: Caring for non-household adults
Load BLS_CARENHH_ADULTHELP BLS: Caring for and helping non-household members: Helping non-household adults
Load BLS_CARENHH_TRAVEL BLS: Caring for and helping non-household members: Travel related to caring for and helping non-household members
Load BLS_WORK BLS: Working and work-related activities
Load BLS_WORK_WORKING BLS: Working and work-related activities: Working
Load BLS_WORK_WORKREL BLS: Working and work-related activities: Work-related activities
Load BLS_WORK_OTHER BLS: Working and work-related activities: Other income-generating activities
Load BLS_WORK_SEARCH BLS: Working and work-related activities: Job search and interviewing
Load BLS_WORK_TRAVEL BLS: Working and work-related activities: Travel related to work
Load BLS_EDUC BLS: Educational activities
Load BLS_EDUC_CLASS BLS: Educational activities: Attending class
Load BLS_EDUC_HWORK BLS: Educational activities: Homework and research
Load BLS_EDUC_TRAVEL BLS: Educational activities: Travel related to education
Load BLS_SOCIAL BLS: Organizational, civic, and religious activities
Load BLS_SOCIAL_RELIG BLS: Organizational, civic, and religious activities: Religious and spiritual activities
Load BLS_SOCIAL_VOL BLS: Organizational, civic, and religious activities: Volunteering (organizational and civic activities)
Load BLS_SOCIAL_VOLACT BLS: Organizational, civic, and religious activities: Volunteer activities
Load BLS_SOCIAL_ADMIN BLS: Organizational, civic, and religious activities: Administrative and support activities
Load BLS_SOCIAL_SOCSERV BLS: Organizational, civic, and religious activities: Social service and care activities (except medical)
Load BLS_SOCIAL_MAINTEN BLS: Organizational, civic, and religious activities: Indoor and outdoor maintenance, building, and cleanup activities
Load BLS_SOCIAL_CULTURE BLS: Organizational, civic, and religious activities: Participating in performance and cultural activities
Load BLS_SOCIAL_ATTEND BLS: Organizational, civic, and religious activities: Attending meetings, conferences, and training
Load BLS_SOCIAL_CIVIC BLS: Organizational, civic, and religious activities: Civic obligations and participation
Load BLS_SOCIAL_TRAVEL BLS: Organizational, civic, and religious activities: Travel related to organizational, civic, and religious activities
Load BLS_LEIS BLS: Leisure and sports
Load BLS_LEIS_SOC BLS: Leisure and sports: Socializing, relaxing, and leisure
Load BLS_LEIS_SOCCOM BLS: Leisure and sports: Socializing and communicating
Load BLS_LEIS_SOCCOMEX BLS: Leisure and sports: Socializing and communicating (except social events)
Load BLS_LEIS_ATTEND BLS: Leisure and sports: Attending or hosting social events
Load BLS_LEIS_SPORT BLS: Leisure and sports: Sports, exercise, and recreation
Load BLS_COMM BLS: Telephone calls, mail, and e-mail
Load BLS_COMM_TELE BLS: Telephone calls, mail, and e-mail: Telephone calls (to or from)
Load BLS_COMM_MSG BLS: Telephone calls, mail, and e-mail: Household and personal messages
Load BLS_COMM_MSGMAIL BLS: Telephone calls, mail, and e-mail: Household and personal mail and messages
Load BLS_COMM_MSGEMAIL BLS: Telephone calls, mail, and e-mail: Household and personal e-mail and messages
Load BLS_COMM_TRAVEL BLS: Telephone calls, mail, and e-mail: Travel related to telephone calls
Load BLS_OTHER BLS: Other activities not elsewhere classified
Load BLS_LEIS_RELAX BLS: Leisure and sports: Relaxing and leisure
Load BLS_LEIS_TV BLS: Leisure and sports: Watching TV
Load BLS_LEIS_ARTS BLS: Leisure and sports: Arts and entertainment (other than sports)
Load BLS_LEIS_PARTSPORT BLS: Leisure and sports: Participating in sports, exercise, and recreation
Load BLS_LEIS_ATTSPORT BLS: Leisure and sports: Attending sporting or recreational events
Load BLS_LEIS_TRAVEL BLS: Leisure and sports: Travel related to leisure and sports

The variables in this group are based on the USDA Economic Research Service's definitions of primary eating and drinking and associated activities. In contrast to the Activity coding scheme, primary eating based on the ERS definition includes work-related eating and drinking. In contrast to the BLS published tables coding scheme, travel related to eating and drinking is combined with waiting associated with eating and drinking rather than subsumed in primary eating and drinking.


ERS eating and drinking
Create Copy Name Label
Load ERS_PRIM ERS: Primary eating and drinking
Load ERS_ASSOC ERS: Activities associated with primary eating and drinking (travel and waiting)