Full Citation

Title: Examining inequality in the time cost of waiting

Citation Type: Journal Article

Forthcoming?: Yes

ISBN:

ISSN: 2397-3374

DOI: 10.1038/s41562-023-01524-w

NSFID:

PMCID:

PMID:

Abstract: Time spent waiting for services represents unproductive time lost while fulfilling needs. We use time diary data from the nationally representative American Time Use Survey to estimate the difference between high- and low-income people in time spent waiting for basic services. Relative to high-income people, low-income people are one percentage point more likely to wait on an average day, are three percentage points more likely to wait when using services, spend an additional minute waiting for services on a typical day and spend 12 more minutes waiting when waiting occurs. The unconditional gap in waiting time suggests low-income people spend at least six more hours per year waiting for services than high-income people. The income gap in waiting time cannot be explained by differences in family obligations, demographics, education, work time or travel time. Further, high-income Black people experience the same higher average wait times as low-income people regardless of race. Holt and Vinopal use nationally representative data from the American Time Use Survey to find that low-income people are more likely to wait, and to wait longer, when using basic services relative to high-income people.

Url: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-023-01524-w

User Submitted?: No

Authors: Holt, Stephen B.; Vinopal, Katie

Periodical (Full): Nature Human Behaviour

Issue:

Volume:

Pages: 1-11

Data Collections: IPUMS CPS

Topics: Education, Labor Force and Occupational Structure, Poverty and Welfare, Race and Ethnicity

Countries: