Poverty and intra-household distribution of work time in Turkey: Analysis and some policy implications

SynopsisInequalities in work time might provide important insights on how poverty is experienced by people. Despite the growing body of literature on poverty and intra-household allocation of resources in Turkey, the linkages between poverty and inequalities in time use have not been studied empirically using nationwide data. We look at how distribution of paid and unpaid work burden differs between households of different income levels using the first and the single national time use survey in Turkey. Our results reveal one hidden dimension of poverty; a time deficit alongside the more obvious income deficit. We also find that the effects of time poverty are felt more severely by women, given the already uneven distribution of unpaid work within the Turkish household. We conclude that social policies targeting not only income but also time poverty, like provision of public care services for children and elderly, may have a double effect by relieving unpaid time burden of women and increasing female labor market participation, and therefore, increasing household income further.

► Time-use within a household effects how poverty is experienced by people.
► Significant difference of unpaid work burden between genders and income groups
► Poverty means higher unpaid work for women, hindering labor market participation.
► Policy should take into account time use and provide alternatives for unpaid work.