Concept and origins
Vickery (1977) argued that a household needs both money and time for housework and care to reach a minimum standard. A household slightly above the income line may still be poor if earning that income consumes too much time. She showed that single parents, short of both, are often hidden in official statistics.
Measurement
Goodin and colleagues (2008) proposed measuring freedom as 'discretionary time' left after necessary paid work, housework and care. Kalenkoski and colleagues (2011) estimated US time poverty thresholds, and Burchardt (2008) combined time and income to assess real choices, in line with the capability approach. Williams and colleagues (2016) formalised definitions and measures.
Gender gaps and policy
Hochschild (1989) showed that employed women work a 'second shift' at home. Bardasi and Wodon (2010) measured severe time poverty among women in Guinea, burdened with fetching water and fuel. This connects to the feminization of poverty and the male breadwinner model. Policy responses include socialised care, shorter working hours and flexible work.
FAQ
- What is time poverty in simple terms?
- Having almost no time left for rest or yourself after work, housework and care.
- Why isn't income poverty enough?
- People who barely clear the poverty line by working very long hours can still live hard lives without time.
Sources reviewed: 2026-10-26
References
- Vickery, C. (1977). The time-poor: A new look at poverty. The Journal of Human Resources, 12(1), 27–48. The first proposal to measure poverty in both money and time.
- Hochschild, A. R. (1989). The second shift: Working parents and the revolution at home. Viking. Documents women's 'second shift' of domestic work.
- Goodin, R. E., Rice, J. M., Parpo, A., & Eriksson, L. (2008). Discretionary time: A new measure of freedom. Cambridge University Press. Measures freedom as discretionary time.
- Bardasi, E., & Wodon, Q. (2010). Working long hours and having no choice: Time poverty in Guinea. Feminist Economics, 16(3), 45–78. Measures time poverty in a developing country.
- Kalenkoski, C. M., Hamrick, K. S., & Andrews, M. (2011). Time poverty thresholds and rates for the US population. Social Indicators Research, 104(1), 129–155. Estimates time poverty thresholds and rates in the US.
- Burchardt, T. (2008). Time and income poverty (CASE Report 57). Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion, London School of Economics. Combines time and income from a capability perspective.
- Williams, J. R., Masuda, Y. J., & Tallis, H. (2016). A measure whose time has come: Formalizing time poverty. Social Indicators Research, 128(1), 265–283. Formalises definitions and measures of time poverty.