Are the Unemployed Giving Up Hope?

New data from the 2008 “American Time Use Survey” compares the weekday activities of the employed and unemployed (which now comprises almost one in every ten people). One figure was quite surprising: Unemployed people only spend, on average, 30 minutes every weekday looking for work. What are they doing the rest of the time? They spend three hours watching movies or television; two hours on household activities; and nine hours sleeping. The employed spend one less hour in front of the television; 40 minutes less on household chores; and one less hour asleep. Why are unemployed people spending so little of their day job hunting? Is it because they think there are simply no jobs to be had? Are they giving up hope? Here’s the interactive graphic from the New York Times. Click through to see how we’re all spending our time.