Social distancing conditions implemented in response to the Covid-19 pandemic significantly altered where and with whom people were able to spend their time. By examining data from the 2019 American Time Use Survey, this study provides a baseline of how much time people spent at home, alone, and alone at home prior to the onset of the pandemic. Men, Black people, older adults, low-income households, foreign-born adults, people who live alone, and people who are unemployed spend more time alone than other groups. These findings highlight which groups in the United States already spent more time at home and more time alone pre-pandemic, forecasting how other groups time use may shift in response to Covid-19 pandemic social distancing regulations.
Time Spent at Home and Alone in the United States, 2019