This graphic, found at ChartPorn, compares the average number of work hours per year and per week across selected countries. After the graphic, I listed the countries in order just for fun.
hours/country
27 Germany
27 Netherlands
27 Norway
30 Belgium
30 France
31 Ireland
31 Denmark
31 Spain
31 Sweden
32 Austria
32 Switzerland
32 U.K.
33 Australia
33 Canada
33 Finland
34 Japan
34 New Zealand
34 Portugal
35 Iceland
35 Italy
35 Slovakia
35 U.S.
36 Mexico
38 Czech Republic
38 Hungary
38 Poland
41 Greece
44 South Korea
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Lisa Wade is a professor of sociology at Occidental College. You can follow her on Twitter and Facebook.
Comments 20
Jonathan — September 7, 2009
Does this map take into account people who have multiple jobs?
James Turnbull — September 7, 2009
Naturally enough, South Korea usually gets a great deal of attention in the international media when they cover comparisons of working hours such as these, but unfortunately it's extremely rare for people who actually live and work in the country to have any input whatsoever into reports and magazine articles and so on, which only serves to perpetuate stereotypes of Koreans (and Northeast Asians in general) as extremely diligent and hardworking. Of course they certainly can be, but it is very important to place that figure of 44 hours into the context of Korean working culture also.
There's a great deal I could say about it, but in a nutshell the figure of 44 hours, reasonably enough, derives from the time employees leave until the time they go home (and actually 44 hours sounds rather low to me!). What is never stated though, is that it is standard practice to arrive before the boss does, and not to leave before (usually) he goes home, regardless of how little work one actually has to do. This results in employees often spending several hours in the afternoons effectively doing nothing but chatting online or even sleeping, only to pick up the pace again towards the time the boss leaves.
Needless to say, despite their reputation for hard work this means that on international comparisons of productivity per hour worked South Korea usually comes about average, and of the myriad social effects one I personally blog about a great deal is that on Korea's low birth rate, as even if there were a sufficient number of childcare facilities available in Korea few would ever open at the late hours such a workplace culture requires.
Apologies in advance for the typos in this comment: it's 1:17am here in Busan!
Titanis walleri — September 7, 2009
I figured Japan would be much higher...
eloriane — September 7, 2009
I find it interesting, given the stereotypes in the U.S. of Mexican immigrants as being lazy, that the people of Mexico spend more time at work! Of course, it may, as in Korea, be an inaccurate account of actual work-- or it may be that the stereotypes are all wrong.
With our workaholic culture, I expected the U.S. to be higher, actually-- over 40 hours a week. After all, full-time is 40 hours, and many people work overtime, at least in my circles.
Crys T — September 7, 2009
I don't really understand what this chart is supposed to prove. Sure, it may look great to only have to work 30 hours a week, but if you're not getting paid a full-time wage to do it and you need the money, it really, really isn't. I'm only familiar with Spain and the UK and in both places, under the guise of "flexible working," employers now offer what's generally known as "crap contracts" with low hours and correspondingly low pay. And my personal favourite: the fixed-term contract, so yeah, you work....for a few months.
It's similar to what happens in the US when an employer has you work 38 hours, and can therefore class you as "part time" and not have to give you full-time benefits.
Brad — September 7, 2009
This graphic is useless without knowing what definition was used for 'worker'. Are full and part time workers included in the average?
Duran — September 7, 2009
@eloriane, I believe that vacations are included, and the "hours per week" is an average based on a calculation of hours per year. So if you are at the office 40 hours per week, but take 2 weeks of vacation, the chart would mark you as working 38.5 hours/week.
I think.
Of course, we can't tell for sure, because lisa doesn't get statistics, so didn't see fit to publish the methodology.
satine — September 9, 2009
The above graphic lacks vital information, as others have already pointed out.
http://www.eurofound.europa.eu/eiro/studies/tn0903039s/tn0903039s.htm
This study lists average working hours in the European Union.
"Actual weekly working hours" (full time, including extra hours - paid or unpaid):
Germany 41.2
Netherlands 39.9
Norway 39.6
Belgium 38.6
France 38.4
Ireland 38.9
Denmark 39.2
Spain 40.4
Sweden 39.6
Austria 41.6
Switzerland -
U.K. 40.9
Div — September 9, 2009
Is it strange that I take issue with the title of the chart - "Working Around the World" - when the only world that is displayed is mainly based around Euro-North American experience (with few exceptions)? Is it just me?
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Hard worker — November 23, 2014
I don't understand this. At least for Japan.
I am working here in Japan and average working hours are 50 hours/ week.
and this is quite normal here.
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Johnsmith — April 16, 2020
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