Zeitarmen

Zeitarmen is the inflected form of the German adjective zeitarm, used to describe people or situations characterized by a lack of time resources. In this sense, Zeitarmen typically refers to a condition known as time poverty, where individuals have insufficient time to devote to rest, leisure, social participation, or personal development because of competing demands such as long work hours, commuting, caregiving, and household responsibilities.

Zeitarmut is a sociological concept that emphasizes time as a scarce resource, distinct from monetary poverty. It is often investigated with time-use surveys and time-budget methods that assess how many hours people have for unpaid work, recreation, and personal care versus obligatory duties. Common indicators include daily leisure time, total working hours, and subjective time pressure.

Demographic patterns show that time poverty can disproportionately affect certain groups. Women, for example, often experience higher time poverty due to the unequal distribution of unpaid labor and caregiving tasks. Time poverty can interact with age, health, and family status, influencing education, employment opportunities, and social participation.

The consequences of chronic time poverty include elevated stress, lower well-being, sleep disruption, and reduced productivity. It can widen social inequalities when some groups have greater access to flexible arrangements or supportive services than others.

Policy responses aim to increase time sovereignty by promoting flexible work arrangements, affordable and accessible childcare, reliable public transport, and supportive public services. Cultural and organizational changes that value balanced work and family life, along with digital tools that reduce time burdens, are also considered important components of addressing Zeitarmen. See also Zeitnot, Zeitarmut, Arbeitszeit, and Work-life balance.