The Irish Times reports (subs needed) that the Irish Lifestyles 2006 Work-Life Balance report by Mintel Ireland has highlighted some differences between life north and south of the border, the most notable being that in the Republic 58% of those surveyed were struggling to find a balance in their lives compared to just 38% in Northern Ireland. Interestingly, the report also found that while church attendance is down north of the border, there has been a 5.6% increase in the Republic.
Other findings include:
27% of workers in the Republic believe they work longer hours than they should compared to 24% in Northern Ireland.
22% in the Republic say they do not have time to do the things they enjoy compared to 19% in the North.
17% in the Republic and 16% in the North are too tired to socialise at the end of the day.
It seems that 14% of workers in the Republic work long hours to pay the bills compared to just 8% in the North.
10% of workers in the Republic and 15% of those in the North do not have enough time for their families
Women in northern Ireland work on average 38 hours a week, six hours more than their southern counterparts.
Watching television has also apparently dropped from being the favourite “leisure pursuit” in the Republic but remains number one in the North.
