22 Time Management Statistics [2022]

Research Summary. While many people just take tasks as they come, failing to organize and manage your time can cost a lot of productivity, effort, and money. Lacking a proper time management system is one of the key mistakes that can cost both businesses and individuals valuable time.

• 82% of people don’t have a time management system

• The average worker spends 51% of every workday on low to no value tasks

• 39% of U.S. employee stress is from workload

• The average person tries 13 time management methods

• Spending 10-12 minutes planning your day can save you two hours of time

For further analysis, we broke down the data in the following ways:
Worker Methods | Wasted Time | Challenges and Distractions | Benefits

General Time Management Statistics

• Only 18% of people have a proper time management system.

  The other 82% of people either make a list by hand or do nothing at all to properly manage their time. That means that the vast majority of the population is not living up to their full level of efficiency.

• The least successful time management technique is just dealing with things as they come throughout the day.

  According to one study, 28% of people who use the “deal with whatever comes” technique feel that their work is never or very rarely under control. These individuals stated that they felt in control of their work one day out of the whole week on average.

• The average office worker in the United States gets interrupted as often as 11 times per hour or almost every six minutes.

  These distractions cost businesses in the United States around $588 billion every year, according to research.

Time Management Statistics by Worker Methods

• The average person tries 13 different time management methods.

  This suggests that many people find sticking to a time management method difficult. There are a variety of big and small time management methods like:

  • Eisenhower Matrix

  • Time Blocking

  • Pickle Jar Theory

  • Eat That Frog Technique

  The thing is that every person is different. The time management method that works for you might not work at all for your co-worker. So, it takes some time to find the perfect fit. That’s why most people have to try a number of methods before finding the right one.

• 12% of workers schedule all their tasks in advance.

  That means the vast majority of people are just doing tasks as they come as opposed to having a plan.

• 33% of people use a to-do list to manage their tasks and time.

  Alternatively, 24% of people use their email inbox as their main source of time management.

  

Time Management Statistics by Wasted Time

• The average employee spends 51% of every workday on low to no value tasks.

  The most common low to no value tasks that people waste their time on is unnecessary commuting (13%), unnecessary meetings (16%), and unnecessary emails (23%).

• The average employee spends 12% of their working hours per day using social media unproductively.

  Considering that the average internet user spends 145 minutes per day on social media, it isn’t surprising that so many people have a tough time separating from it during the workday.

• The average employee spends 2 hours and 11 minutes procrastinating each day.

  That adds up very quickly. Over 10 hours are lost every week if an employee has a five-day schedule. With a 40-hour workweek, one-fourth of the time that an employee is on the clock will be lost to procrastination.

• According to research, 45 minutes per day or 4.3 hours per week is wasted on average due to unorganized workspaces.

  Unorganized workspaces not only eat up time because you’re always looking for papers that are lost, but it also blocks you mentally. Working in a messy space is extremely distracting and even stressful. That makes it very difficult to manage time efficiently.

Time Management Statistics by Challenges and Distractions

• Leaders spend 72% of their total workweek in meetings on average.

  According to one study, the average leader has 37 meetings every week.

• Workplace distractions cost each employee an average of 3 hours per day.

  That means that every month, 60 hours are wasted on workplace distractions. That’s more than 37% of every employee’s time wasted per month.

• Americans check their phones 96 times per day.

  In order words, people in the United States check their phones every ten minutes.

• During an 8-hour workday, the average worker only spends 4 hours and 12 minutes actively working.

  A little under half of every workday is lost to distractions, procrastination, or other influences that limit productivity.

Time Management Statistics by Benefits

• 87% of students believe that they could get better grades if they had better time management and organizational skills

• 89% of Americans check their email every day, and 21% check their email more than five times per day

  

• Less than 3% of people have written out goals

Time Management Statistics FAQ

1. What percentage of people use a time management system?

   Only 18% of people use a time management system, leaving 82% of the population without a proper time management system.

2. Does planning save time?

   Yes, planning does save time. Studies have shown that spending 10 to 12 minutes planning can save you two hours of time throughout the day.

3. What are the effects of poor time management?

   The effects of poor time management include missed deadlines, lower productivity, and increased costs. Some other effects of poor time management include:

   • A stressful work environment

   • Poor customer relations

   • Diminishing employee morale

   • Decreased workplace focus

   While time management might not be the first aspect that comes to mind when thinking of a successful business, you’ll find that every successful company or individual has an excellent time management system.

4. What does good time management look like?

   Good time management looks like lots of planning for short and long-term goals, smart delegation or outsourcing, and prioritizing tasks properly. In order to have a strong time management system, you need to stick to your system even when it gets hard.

   Additionally, you need to set boundaries in your professional life and always know when to say no to avoid putting too much on your plate and underdelivering.

5. What is one common time management mistake?

   One common time management mistake is not planning out your day every morning. While this seems like a small step to take, it can totally upgrade your productivity.

   Other common time management mistakes include:

   • Starting out the day late

   • Sloppy prioritization of tasks

   • Succumbing to distractions

   • Procrastination

   • Not writing out a weekly/monthly to-do list

These common time management mistakes can waste the time of employees and their employers.

Conclusion

Even though employees are typically on the clock for eight hours a day, more than half of this time is wasted every single day. During an 8-hour workday, the average worker only spends 4 hours and 12 minutes actively working. Approximately 51% of every workday is spent on low to no value tasks that hurt productivity and raise costs of doing business.

Employees waste time on social media (145 minutes per day), procrastination (2 hours per day), and workplace distractions (11 times per hour). All this time wasted doesn’t come cheap. Things like distractions cost U.S. businesses approximately $588 billion every single year. Many people attribute these leaks of productivity to lacking a time management system.

Today, only 18% of people have a time management system in place, and the average person tries out 13 different time management methods in their life. While many people get overwhelmed by the idea of adopting a strict time management schedule, it actually brings a lot of value to your life.

Spending just 10 to 12 minutes planning your day can end up saving you two hours of time. Plus, it can help you avoid negative outcomes like missing deadlines and getting stressed out at work.

References

1. Development Academy. Time Management Statistics (NEW Research for 2021). Accessed on March 29, 2022

2. INC. The Average Worker Spends 51 Percent of Each Workday on These 3 Unnecessary Tasks | Inc.com. Accessed on March 29, 2022

3. Zippia. 40+ Worrisome Workplace Stress Statistics [2022]: Facts, Causes, And Trends – Zippia. Accessed on March 29, 2022

4. Dovico. Time Management Facts and Figures – Dovico Blog. Accessed on March 29, 2022

5. Proofhub. 22 Simple, Effective Time Management Strategies for Work. Accessed on March 29, 2022

6. Reuters. US worker interruptions costly, research shows | Reuters. Accessed on March 29, 2022

7. Zippia. 30 Surprising Social Media At Work Statistics [2022]: What Every Manager Should Know – Zippia. Accessed on March 29, 2022

8. Human Resources Online. How much time are your employees spending procrastinating?. Accessed on March 29, 2022

9. INC. The Negative Relationship Between a Messy Desk and Productivity | Inc.com

10. Harvard Business Review. How CEOs Manage Time. Accessed on March 29, 2022

11. TalkBoxBooth. The Shocking Cost of Workplace Distractions. Accessed on March 29, 2022

12. Asurion. Americans Check Their Phones 96 Times a Day – Asurion. Accessed on March 29, 2022

13. Zippia. Here’s How Many Hours Workers Are Actually Productive (And What They’re Doing Instead) – Zippia. Accessed on March 29, 2022

14. Reliable Planet. College students struggle with organizational skills. Accessed on March 29, 2022

15. Eleventy Group. 22 New Stats Showing How American Adults Use Email. Accessed on March 29, 2022

16. Everything What. What percentage of people have written goals? | EveryThingWhat.com. Accessed on March 29, 2022

17. Trafft. How Poor Time Management Can Make Your Business Suffer. Accessed on March 29, 2022

Author

Sky Ariella

Sky Ariella is a professional freelance writer, originally from New York. She has been featured on websites and online magazines covering topics in career, travel, and lifestyle. She received her BA in psychology from Hunter College.