Nearly a third of Canadians see themselves as workaholics and they are more likely than others to be dissatisfied with their work-life balance, says a Statistic Canada study released Tuesday.

7 traits of a workaholic
• Unsatisfying work/life balance. • Working more hours than average. • Working more doesn't give sense of accomplishment. • Feeling stressed. • Stuck in a routine. • Inability to finish 'to-do list.' • Exaggerated sense of work's role in life.

The study, "Time escapes me: Workaholics and time perception," found that nearly one-third, or 31 per cent of Canadians aged 19 to 64, identify themselves as workaholics.

About 39 per cent of self-identified workaholics reported that they usually worked more than 50 hours a week. Only 20 per cent of non-workaholics reported usually working that amount of time.

A full 65 per cent of workaholics, however, expressed concern that they do not spend enough time with family and friends. Only 45 per cent of non-workaholics reported this worry.

Workaholics were also more likely to report that the state of their health was generally fair or poor, they had trouble falling and staying asleep and surprisingly, they did not enjoy their jobs more than other workers.

As well, 56 per cent reported that they did not have time for fun. Only 34 per cent of non-workaholics said they felt the same way.

The study found that a high proportion of self-identified workaholics recognized that they may not use time effectively.

They were more likely than non-workaholics to feel time pressure, stuck in daily routines and not able to finish what they planned at the start of the day.

"Time appears to slip through the workaholic's fingers," said the study.

"They devote more effort to work, but they derive no more satisfaction or pleasure from it than do non-workaholics. They are very dissatisfied with their work-life balance and wish they could spend more time with family and friends," it adds.

"Perceived lack of time is a bigger stressor in their everyday lives than it is for non-workaholics…. Overall, time seems to escape them."

The differences between the two groups are primarily in the ways they view and allocate time, the study concludes.

Different work profile

The study, published in the May online edition of Canadian Social Trends, used data from the 2005 General Social Survey to look at whether quality of life is different for those who see themselves as workaholics and those who do not.

It found that self-identified workaholics have a slightly different work profile than non-workaholics.

The study found that there was no major differences between the two groups in personal income, education, marital status, family structure and place of residence, but workaholics were more likely to hold management jobs and less likely to be professionals.

Given that the study is based on self-identification questions, it suggested that professionals may accept that long working hours is simply a part of their jobs.

"Since they are so numerous, it is not surprising that real workaholics don't match the pop culture presentation of workaholics as an elite group of high octane overachievers," the study says.

No difference in satisfaction

"They are no more likely than non-workaholics to be young, highly educated, city dwellers or high-income earners."

And there was no real difference in reported job satisfaction. Using a 10-point scale, both groups said they would give their satisfaction with work an average 7.4 score.

As well, both groups reported about the same level of satisfaction with their financial situations, a finding that suggests workaholics are motivated to work long hours by reasons other than making money. The study does not say what those reasons might be.

In its definition of workaholics, it says: "Work, regardless of how we define it and whether we are paid for it or not, is a core element of our lives. However, there are some people for whom we think work occupies an even more central place in their lives.

"And if we think the importance they give their work has become exaggerated, we often call these individuals workaholics."