Children’s Time Use: Labor Divisions and Schooling in Indonesia

PWP-CCPR-2005-005

Abstract

Data from the Worker and Iron Status Evaluation is used to examine gendered patterns in children’s time in market and nonmarket work, schooling and leisure in Indonesia (N = 2,929). Boys spend more time in market work; girls spend more time in nonmarket work. Work responsibilities increase with age as well as gender differentials in children’s time use. By age 18, girls spend nearly 1 more hour per day working and enjoy significantly less leisure time; but the gender gap in schooling is not significant, suggesting that parents and children are committed to both work and schooling. Additionally, Tobit regression results suggest that parents’ education, household income and rural residency are important predictors of children’s labor and schooling time.