| By: |
Joachim Merz (Department of Economics and Social Sciences, Research Institute on Professions, University of Lüneburg);
Lars Osberg (Department of Economics, Dalhousie University) |
| Abstract: |
This paper argues that public holidays facilitate the co-ordination of leisure
time but do not constrain the annual amount of leisure. Public holidays
therefore have benefits both in the utility of leisure on holidays and (by
enabling people to maintain social contacts more easily) in increasing the
utility of leisure on normal weekdays and weekends. The paper uses the
variation (13 to 17) in public holidays across German Länder and the German
Time Use Survey of 2001-02 to show that public holidays have beneficial
impacts on social life on normal weekdays and weekends. Since these benefits
are additional to the other benefits of holidays, it suggests that there is a
case to be made for more public holidays. |
| Keywords: |
Public holidays, social contacts, social leisure time, time allocation, time use diaries, German Time Budget Survey 2001/02 |
| JEL: |
J22 I31 Z13 H40 |
| Date: |
2006 |
| URL: |
http://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:inq:inqwps:ecineq2006-37&r=tur |