Americans Work More Than Ever, and More Than Anyone Else

Thanks to the internet, every hour is a potential working hour.

 

This is not a matter of opinion so much as a factual point of international comparison. The average American worker labors more hours than her counterparts in just about every similarly rich country, including Japan, Canada, and the United Kingdom. If the average American worked as much as the typical German, she’d have about 30 extra days off per year. That’s a free six-week vacation in exchange for embracing the famously leisurely work habits of … Germany.

 

The reasons behind America’s overwork are the subject of exhaustive study and theorizing—including on this site. Some observers focus above all on public policy: The U.S. has been steadily eroding labor rights since the Cold War, and there is no federal guarantee for vacation or parental leave, pushing Americans toward longer workweeks than those of their more unionized brethren in similar countries…

 

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Americans Work More Than Ever, and More Than Anyone Else
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