Work vs. leisure

"Generally speaking, which do you enjoy more--the hours when you are on your job, or the hours when you are not on your job?"

             On Job  Not On  Not sure

1955    43%   44%     12%

1955    39%   48%     13%

1988*   20%   68%     13%

1990*   18%   60%     22%

1991*   18%   68%     14%

1993*   22%   70%      8%

1999*   16%   77%      7%

2001*   19%   76%      5%

*Asked only of respondents who work outside the home (about 60% of total)

All surveys were by the Gallup Poll, except 2001 by IPSOS/Reid.  The difference between the 1950s and the later results is impressive.  It's possible that people who weren't employed outside the home in 1955 affected the results--they may have interpreted "on the job" as "while keeping busy", which could lead to favorable responses--but I don't think that could explain all of it.  Maybe conventional wisdom about changes in values during after the 1960s was right.  Social scientists don't like to admit it, but sometimes what everybody thinks is true actually is true.