劳动时间配置对服务消费释放的影响研究

The Impact of Working Time Allocation on the Expansion of Service Consumption

摘要:

“十五五”时期,服务消费扩容是高质量发展的重要支撑,家政服务是其中的关键领域。然而,劳动时间延长强化了家庭时间约束,并以非货币成本形式阻碍服务需求转化,使城市家庭未必因收入增长而同步扩大家政服务消费。基于中国家庭追踪调查(CFPS)数据,构建“时间效应”分析框架,考察劳动时间对家政服务消费的影响。研究发现:第一,劳动时间延长显著抑制家政服务消费,在控制收入、资产等因素后,这一效应仍然稳健,说明时间分配是独立于收入约束之外的重要因素。第二,基于服务治理成本视角,劳动时间延长对服务消费的抑制,并非仅源于可支配时间减少,而是通过抬升家庭服务购买中的治理成本,表现为加重认知负荷、提高信任成本与强化角色规范,进而阻碍家庭服务需求向市场消费转化。第三,数字素养和制度保障能在一定程度上缓解信息不对称与风险预期,但难以完全消除时间刚性带来的结构性障碍。研究表明,服务消费不足并不只是需求偏弱问题,时间约束已成为更隐蔽、更持久的消费边界。释放家政服务消费潜力、促进家政服务业高质量发展,应从增强工时弹性、重塑家庭分工、优化服务供给和完善制度保障等方面协同发力。研究揭示了劳动时间延长阻滞家政服务需求向有效消费转化的内在机制,为促进服务业高质量发展提供了经验证据。

Abstract:

During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, the expansion of service consumption is regarded as an important support for high-quality development. Domestic services are a key part of this process. However, longer working hours tighten household time constraints and raise the non-monetary costs of service use. Urban households may therefore fail to increase domestic service consumption in line with income growth. Data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) were used to construct a “time-effect” analytical framework. The effect of working time on domestic service consumption was examined. Firstly, longer working hours significantly reduce domestic service consumption. The result remains robust after income, assets and other factors are controlled. Time allocation therefore constitutes an important constraint independent of income. Secondly, the negative effect is explained from the perspective of service-governance costs. Longer working hours do more than reduce disposable time. They also raise the governance costs involved in purchasing household services. Cognitive burdens and trust costs are increased. Household role norms are also reinforced. The conversion of household service demand into market consumption is consequently impeded. Third, digital literacy and institutional safeguards can partly reduce information asymmetry and perceived risk. However, the structural barriers created by rigid time constraints cannot be fully removed. The results indicate that insufficient service consumption cannot be attributed solely to weak demand. Time constraints have become a more hidden and persistent boundary of consumption. Greater working-time flexibility should be promoted. Household divisions of labour should be reshaped. Service supply should be improved. Institutional safeguards should also be strengthened. It reveals the underlying mechanism by which extended working hours hinder the transformation of household service demand into effective consumption, thereby providing empirical evidence to support the high-quality development of the service sector.