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The Overworked American or the Time Bind?

Assessing Competing Explanations for Time Spent in Paid Labor

Department of Sociology and Kunz Center for the Study of Work and Family, University of Cincinnati

MARCIA L. BELLAS

Department of Sociology and Kunz Center for the Study of Work and Family, University of Cincinnati

A number of analysts have examined the issue of whether time in paid labor is a voluntary decision or constrained by the demands of employers. Many contend that Americans are overworked by their employers, especially if they are highly educated, working at the apex of the occupational hierarchy, and placed in large firms. On the other hand, Arlie Hochschild suggests in The Time Bind that long hours reflect an avoidance of hectic family lives in favor of the rewards and recognition found at work. To examine the explanatory power of these arguments, this article uses data from the Survey of Ohio's Working Families (SOWF) to predict the scheduling and the length of time spent in paid labor. Little support is found for Hochschild's argument and more support is found for other explanations of the overworked American.

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