The State of the 40-Hour Workweek

Share this infographic on your website , simply copy and paste the source
code in the box below to your website.

The 40-hour workweek has been a standard in industrialized society for many years. However, with increases in technology, many say that we will be seeing its decline as efficiency increases and work hours become shorter. Here is a look at how many people in each country are still working in excess of 40 hours per week.

The Working Week

In Canada, 68.8 percent of males and 36.3 percent of females work more than 40 hours per week. Canadians work an average of 30.4 hours per week. In the U.S., 85.8 percent of males and 66.5 percent of females work more than 40 hours per week. Americans work an average of 33.6 hours per week. In Mexico, 70 percent of males and 53 percent of females work more than 40 hours per week. Mexicans work an average of 43.5 hours per week. In Argentina, 69.6 percent of males and 42.3 percent of females work more than 40 hours per week. Argentineans work an average of 41.5 hours per week.

In Chile, 84.6 percent of males and 83.5 percent of females work more than 40 hours per week. Chileans work an average of 40.6 hours per week. In the U.K., 65 percent of males and 27.3 percent of females work more than 40 hours per week. Britons work an average of 39.6 hours per week. In France, 42.3 percent of males and 21.6 percent of females work more than 40 hours per week. The French work an average of 37.55 hours per week. In Spain, 83.3 percent of males and 53.7 percent of females work more than 40 hours per week. Spaniards work an average of 34.7 hours per week.

In Norway, 22.8 percent of males and 7.7 percent of females work more than 40 hours per week. Norwegians work an average of 34.4 hours per week. In Turkey, 91.6 percent of males and 72.8 percent of females work more than 40 hours per week. Turkish workers work an average of 49.7 hours per week. In Italy, 76.7 percent of males and 42.2 percent of females work more than 40 hours per week. Italians work an average of 34.6 hours per week. In Japan, 82.2 percent of males and 49.8 percent of females work more than 40 hours per week. The Japanese work an average of 40.7 hours per week. In Australia, 61.5 percent of males and 31.6 percent of females work more than 40 hours per week. Australians work an average of 34.5 hours per week.

Posted by: michaelbnash Tags: employment, global finance, jobs

related visualeconomic articles

An International Look at Women in Media Jobs

Finding the Bottom: 2010 Global Economic Recovery

Export Value: Per Dollar GDP by Country

Where is America’s Debt?

http://www.kvetchingturds.com/2009/12/im-moving-to-norway/ I’m moving to Norway.

[...] But the workweek is better. [...]
TheChort

Something about Norway’s math doesn’t add up.
Andrew R.

Is the percentage by gender working over 40 hours per work week really working over 40 or working over the average for that country?

Ex.
85.8% of USA Males work over 40 hours per work week

OR 85.8% of USA Males work over 33.6 hours per work week

Which is the correct statement?
Adam D

How about India and China? Are workers in the US too expensive for 40hr weeks?
Tongboy

Does this only include people working “full time”?
http://searchenginereports.net/articlecheck.aspx Plagiarism Checker

I am moving to Norway so fast. Let’s see. Tons of blondes and a reduced work week.

I PROMISE TO BE ON MY BEST BEHAVIOR NORWEGIANS.
Aithor

Missing:

Germany
Brazil
China
Taiwan
Russia
Robert

Agentina, Turkey? who cares?
pants

and we left china, india, etc. out why?
Anon

I’m moving to Canada!!
Joe

Somethin’ aint right with these numbers. Look at the US, for example. 85% of males work over 40 hours a week, and 66% of females work over 40 hours a week – but our average is only 33.6 hours a week? What are the remainder working? 10 hours a week?
Jono

Where’s New Zealand? Gosh.
http://www.thecollaredsheep.com/work-week-around-the-world/ The Work Week Around the World | The Collared Sheep – A Cubicle Community

[...] out the full graphic here, and tell us what you [...]
http://michaelteter.com Michael Teter

This is interesting, but there’s no attribution or explanation of where the data came from and what the methodology was.

It comes across like a pretty “internet fact”. I’d love to know more about the numbers, as the results are somewhat surprising to me.
http://michaelteter.com Michael Teter

Nevermind. Enough activity on the chart that I didn’t see the un.org at the bottom. That being said, it might still serve the viewers well to have at least a little summary paragraph.

For example, just looking at the chart we don’t know which country actually has the highest average hours worked per week; we just know which countries have the greatest percentage of workers (full time? part time?) who work more than 40 hours.
Michael

how about china?
http://mrlocke.com/blog1/2010/01/06/the-state-of-the-40-hour-workweek/ History is Now » Blog Archive » The State of the 40-Hour Workweek |

[...] The State of the 40-Hour Workweek | [...]
http://pkrf1end.wordpress.com/2010/01/07/whos-working-most-the-state-of-the-40-hour-workweek-pic/ Who’s Working Most? The State of the 40-Hour Workweek (PIC) « Pkrf1end’s Blog

[...] Source:http://www.visualeconomics.com/the-state-of-the-40-hour-workweek/ [...]
LizG

My bosses are Turkish. I hope they don’t impose their work ethic on me.
Sarah

How can the U.S. have 85% of males and 66% of females working overtime and still have a national average of only 33 hours/week? I would check the math on that one.
http://shinerclay.com/?p=1098 Twitter Updates for 2010-01-07 — shiner.clay

[...] working the most outside of the usual 40 hour work week? – http://www.visualeconomics.com/the-state-of-the-40-hour-workweek/ [...]
tony han

I gonna to Normay too,shall we take the same plane?Huh
http://SHRinsight.com Pat Frame

Numbers for US and Canada at least do not make sense — if so many are working more than 40 hours per week, how come the total average is so far below 40?
http://www.divageekdesigns.com divageekdesigns

Typical. USA as usual kick ass..maybe some may think in the wrong direction but then again that’s what makes us so awesome. We work hard and we devekop some of the best technology in the world.
Christine, Norwayy

EVERYONE SHOULD MOVE TO NORWAY. IT IS THE BEST PLACE TO LIVE AND WORK ))
http://theresumeguy.com/681/the-state-of-the-40-hour-workweek/ The State of the 40-Hour Workweek | The Résumé Guy

[...] The State of the 40-Hour Workweek (via Visual Economics) [...]