ATUS (TU) tu.txt Section Listing 1. Survey Definition 2. Flat files listed in the survey directory. 3. Time series, series file, data file, mapping file, & aspect file definitions and relationships 4. Series file format and field definitions 5. Data file format and field definitions 6. Mapping file formats and field definitions 7. Aspect file format and field definitions ================================================================================ Section 1 ================================================================================ Survey Description: The American Time Use Survey (ATUS) is the Nation’s first federally administered, continuous survey on time use in the United States. The goal of the survey is to measure how people divide their time among life’s activities. In ATUS, individuals are randomly selected from a subset of households that have completed their eighth and final month of interviews for the Current Population Survey (CPS). ATUS respondents are interviewed only one time about how they spent their time on the previous day, where they were, and whom they were with. The survey is sponsored by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and is conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. The major purpose of ATUS is to develop nationally representative estimates of how people spend their time. Many ATUS users are interested in the amount of time Americans spend doing unpaid, nonmarket work, which could include unpaid childcare, eldercare, housework, and volunteering. The survey also provides information on the amount of time people spend in many other activities, such as religious activities, socializing, exercising, and relaxing. Summary Data Available: Time Use data are available for the civilian, noninstitutional population age 15 and older and various subpopulations, with estimates available by age, race, sex, Hispanic or Latino ethnicity, employment status, occupation, class of worker, earnings, education, day of week, and other characteristics. Frequency of Observations: Most series are annual averages. Quarterly averages, not seasonally adjusted, are available for a small number of data series. All series are released on an annual basis. Data Characteristics: Time use estimates are constructed for a number of different activities. There are 3 main types of ATUS estimates: average hours per day, participation rates on an average day, and number of persons. All series contain estimates constructed using the 2006 weighting methodology. Some series may contain data that do not match earlier published estimates from news release tables that used previous weighting methods. ATUS estimates are not published unless there are a minimum number of respondents representing the given population. Beginning with the 2010 data, additional publication criteria are applied that include the number of respondents who reported doing a specified activity and the standard error or coefficient of variation for the estimate. Estimates that are suppressed are indicated with a value "S." Estimates that are considered “close to zero” or that round to zero (e.g., 0.00 for estimates of hours), are indicated with a value "Z." Some, but not all data series contain estimates that use the 2010 suppression rules for all years. Other series may contain estimates constructed before 2010 that used earlier suppression methods. As a result, some series may contain suppressions and "close to zero" values that were previously published in the ATUS news release tables. Updating Schedule: Updates are usually available with the issuance of the annual American Time Use Survey news release. References: ATUS User's Guide, U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics www.bls.gov/tus/atususersguide.pdf. ================================================================================== Section 2 ================================================================================== The following ATUS files are on the BLS internet in the sub-directory pub/time.series/tu: tu.contacts - Contacts for TU survey tu.actcode - Activity codes mapping file tu.age - Age codes mapping file tu.aspect - Standard errors for data tu.data.0.Current - All current data tu.data.1.AllData - All data tu.datays - Number of years codes mapping file tu.disability - Disability codes mapping file tu.earn - Earnings codes mapping file tu.ecage - Eldercare age codes mapping file tu.ecytd - Eldercare provided on diary day codes mapping file tu.educ - Educational attainment codes mapping file tu.elder - Eldercare provider codes mapping file tu.eldur - Eldercare duration codes mapping file tu.elfreq - Eldercare frequency codes mapping file tu.elnum - Eldercare number of recipients codes mapping file tu.elwho - Eldercare recipients relationship codes mapping file tu.footnote - Footnote codes mapping file tu.hhnscc03 - Secondary childcare codes mapping file tu.industry - Industry codes mapping file tu.lfstat - Labor force status codes mapping file tu.lfstatw - Labor force status and work on diary day codes mapping file tu.maritlstat - Marital status codes mapping file tu.mjcow - Class of worker codes mapping file tu.nmet - Metropolitan area codes mapping file tu.occ - Occupation codes mapping file tu.orig - Ethnicity and country of origin codes mapping file tu.pertype - Days of week codes mapping file tu.prhhchild - Presence of household child codes mapping file tu.prownhhchild - Presence of own household child codes mapping file tu.race - Race codes mapping file tu.region - Region codes mapping file tu.schenr - School enrollment codes mapping file tu.series - All series ids and their beginning and end dates tu.sex - Sex codes mapping file tu.sjmj - Single or Multiple jobholder codes mapping file tu.stattype - Type of estimate codes mapping file tu.timeday - Time of day codes mapping file tu.where - Where codes mapping file tu.who - Who codes mapping file tu.work - Worked on diary day codes mapping file ================================================================================= Section 3 ================================================================================= The definition of a time series, its relationship to and the interrelationship among series, data and mapping files is detailed below: A time series refers to a set of data observed over an extended period of time over consistent time intervals (i.e. monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, annually). ATUS time series data are produced annually. Quarterly and annual estimates are produced. The flat files are organized such that data users are provided with the following set of files to use in their efforts to interpret data files: a) a series file (only one series file per survey) b) mapping files c) data files d) aspect file The series file contains a set of codes which, together, compose a series identification code that serves to uniquely identify a single time series. Additionally, the series file contains the following series-level information: a) the period and year corresponding to the first data observation b) the period and year corresponding to the most recent data observation c) characteristics of the series corresponding to values in the mapping files The mapping files are definition files that contain explanatory text descriptions that correspond to each of the various codes represented within each series identification code. The data file contains one line of data for each observation period pertaining to a specific time series. Each line contains a reference to the following: a) a series identification code b) year in which data is observed c) period for which data is observed (A01 indicate annual averages, and Q01, Q01, Q03, Q04 indicate quarterly averages) d) value e) footnote code (if available) The aspect file contains one line of data (standard error) for each observation period pertaining to a specific time series. Each line contains a reference to the following: a) a series identifiation code b) year in which the standard error is observed c) period for which the standard error is observed d) aspect type (E indicates standard error) d) value of the standard error e) footnote codes (if applicable) ================================================================================= Section 4 ================================================================================= Series File Structure and Format: The following represents the file format used to define tu.series. Data files are in ASCII text format. Data elements are separated by tabs. The first record of each file contains the column headers for the data elements stored in each field. Each record ends with a new line character. Field #/Data Element Length Value(Example) 1. series_id 18 TUU10101AA01011987 Description of the components in the series id 2. prefix 2 TU 3. seasonal code 1 U 4. type of estimate code 5 10101 5. time period code 1 A 6. all ATUS data series 1 A 7. number of years code 2 01 8. character code* 6 011987 The character code (011987) in the series_id corresponds to a unique combination of values from the mapping files. For example, activity, day of week, age, sex, etc. There is not a field titled "character_code" in the series file. Rather there are a number of fields that correspond to each of the mapping files and a series_title field that describes the data series. Additional fields in the Series file correspond to each of the mapping files and information about the period for which the data series are defined. 9. begin_year 4 2003 10. begin_period 3 A01 11. end_year 4 2013 12. end_period 3 A01 ================================================================================== Section 5 ================================================================================== Data File Structure and Format: The following represents the file format used to define each data file. Note that the field numbers are for reference only; they do not exist in the database. Data files are in ASCII text format. Data elements are separated by tabs. The first record of each file contains the column headers for the data elements stored in each field. Each record ends with a new line character. The tu.data file is partitioned into two separate files: 1. tu.data.0.Current - All current data 2. tu.data.1.AllData - All data The above-referenced data files have the following format: Field #/Data Element Length Value(Example) 1. series_id 18 TUU10101AA01011987 2. year 4 2004 3. period 3 A01 4. value 12 3.66 5. footnote_codes 10 It varies ================================================================================= Section 6 ================================================================================= Mapping File Structure and Format: The following represents the file format used to define each mapping file. Note that the field numbers are for reference only; they do not exist in the database. Mapping files are in ASCII text format. Data elements are separated by tabs. The first record of each file contains the column headers for the data elements stored in each field. Each record ends with a new line character. Each mapping file follows a similar format Field #/Data Element Length Value (Example) 1. characteristic code varies varies 2. characteristic text varies varies For example, the tu.age mapping file contains 1. age_code 3 033 2. age_text 17 25 to 54 years ================================================================================== Section 7 ================================================================================== Aspect File Structure and Format: The following represents the file format used to define the aspect file. Note that the field numbers are for reference only; they do not exist in the database. The aspect file is in ASCII text format. Data elements are separated by tabs. The first record of each file contains the column headers for the data elements stored in each field. Each record ends with a new line character. The aspect file has the following format: Field #/Data Element Length Value(Example) 1. series_id 18 TUU10101AA01011987 2. year 4 2014 3. period 3 A01 4. aspect_type 1 E 5. value 12 0.052 6. footnote_codes 10 It varies