Do you ever feel like you’re spending more time at work than you do at home?
It has been estimated that the average person will spend one-third of their life at work. That’s roughly 90,000 hours at work over your lifetime.
As a small business owner, it’s a good idea to understand the average hours per week worked. This is so you can set up schedules for your employees that don’t exceed the normal amount which can lead to burnout and low morale.
The average number of hours worked per week is an important statistic that provides insight into the labor conditions and work-life balance in different countries. As a business owner, employee, or someone just interested in this topic, it’s useful to understand how average work hours differ globally.
In this in-depth guide, we will break down the average weekly hours worked by various factors like country, gender, type of employment, education level, and more We aim to help readers learn
- The average worldwide hours worked per week
- How hours differ between countries
- Differences based on gender
- Impact of employment type
- Role of education level
- Weekday vs weekend hours
- And more
Let’s dive in!
Average Hours Worked per Week Worldwide
According to the International Labour Organization (ILO), the average worldwide hours worked per week is around 41. With regional variations factored in, the ILO estimates global averages of:
- 43.7 hours for men
- 37.2 hours for women
These figures represent combined data for both employees in traditional working arrangements as well as self-employed individuals.
Countries with the longest average workweeks include:
- Bhutan – 54.3 hours
- United Arab Emirates – 52 hours
- Republic of the Congo – 47.9 hours
On the other hand, countries with the shortest average workweeks are:
- Syria – 25.3 hours
- Netherlands – 26.7 hours
- Norway – 27.1 hours
As we’ll explore next, higher income countries trend toward shorter workweeks, while lower income economies often have longer hours.
Comparing Average Hours by Country
There is significant variation in average hours worked when comparing across different countries.
Some patterns we see are:
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High income countries – Countries with higher average incomes, greater work-life balance focus, and more vacation time tend to have shorter workweeks. Examples are European nations like Germany, France, and the Netherlands.
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Middle income countries – Countries that are rapidly developing and industrializing but still building their economies and infrastructure tend to have longer workweeks. Examples include Malaysia, China, Turkey.
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Low income countries – Poorer and least developed countries where finding work itself can be a challenge likely have the longest workweeks for those who are employed. However, reliable data is sparse for many lower income economies.
Beyond income levels, work culture and labor policies also impact average hours worked. While Singapore has a long average workweek, it also has a highly developed economy, showing work hours don’t always align with development status.
Average Hours Worked by Gender
Another factor that influences average work hours is gender. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employed men worked 43 minutes more on average than employed women in 2021.
Some key gender differences in hours worked include:
- Full-time employed men worked 8.4 hours a day versus 7.8 hours for women
- 88% of men worked on an average weekday compared to 85% of women
- Men worked 40.5 hours versus 36.6 hours for women
Research suggests women spend more time on household responsibilities which may impact their work hours. But for full-time roles, men work longer on average.
Impact of Employment Type on Hours Worked
The type of employment also affects the average number of hours worked per week. Key points:
- Multiple job holders tend to work more — 88.5% worked on an average weekday versus 82.1% for single job holders.
- Self-employed people often work longer hours than salaried employees.
- Part-time workers log fewer hours than full-time employees. There are nearly twice as many part-time female workers than males.
So employment type — part-time vs full-time, single job vs multiple jobs, and self-employed vs salaried — influences average hours worked.
Role of Education Level
Data shows the education level attained also correlates with the average number of hours worked. Some notable points:
- 67% of US employees over 25 with an advanced degree did some work from home compared to only 19% of those with a high school diploma and no college.
- However, those with a high school diploma only worked more hours on an average day — 8.08 hours versus 7.83 hours for those with an advanced degree.
- People with higher education levels are more likely to work on an average weekday than those with less education.
So while remote work opportunities increase with education level, actual hourly averages can be higher for those without an advanced degree according to BLS data.
Weekday vs Weekend Work Hours
When comparing weekday to weekend hours, there is a sizable difference in the U.S.
- 88.3% of full-time employees work on an average weekday versus only 31.6% on weekends
- On weekends, employed people worked an average of 5.64 hours
- Weekend work is more common for multiple job holders (51% worked weekends) compared to single job holders (30.8%)
The much lower percentage working weekends, and the reduced average weekend hours, pulls down the overall weekly average for workers in America.
Final Thoughts on Average Work Hours
While there are many complex factors impacting the average hours worked per week worldwide, we see clear patterns emerge from the data:
- Higher income economies trend toward shorter workweeks
- Significant differences exist between countries and regions
- Men tend to work slightly more hours than women on average
- Employment type, education level, weekend vs. weekday, and other factors also influence hourly averages
Understanding these trends can help individuals and organizations make more informed labor decisions and policies. The decades-long pattern of declining work hours in nations like the U.S. also points to shifts in work-life balance priorities over time.
How Many Hours Does the Average Person Work Per Week?
The Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks how many hours per week the average American works. This information is then released as a part of the monthly employment summary.
The most recent data, taken before the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, showed that in America the average worker worked for 34.4 hours per week.
But how does that data look when it’s broken down?
Age 16-19: 24.1 hours per week.
Age 20-24: 34.8 hours per week.
Age 25-54: 40.5 hours per week.
Age 55+: 38
Men: Men worked an average of 41 hours per week.
Women: Women worked an average of 36.4 hours per week.
White American: 38.9 hours per week.
African American: 38.7 hours per week.
Asian American: 38.9 hours per week.
Hispanic and Latino: 38.2 hours per week.
Average Hours Per Day
Calculating the average hours per day worked can vary depending on whether or not employees are on hourly or salaried pay.
However, the national average of hours per day is 8.5 during the week and 5.4 hours during the weekend.
Full-time employees tend to only work on weekdays. But a rather large 31% of full-time employees reported that they use a portion of their weekend to catch up on their workload.
Why Do We Work 40 Hours A Week?
How many hours a week do Americans work?
As of 2021, Americans worked an average of 38.7 hours per week. The average hours worked per week in the U.S. was 38.7 hours as of 2021. Men worked an average of 40.5 hours per week, while women worked 36.6 hours per week.
How many hours does the average employee work?
The average isn’t exactly 40 hours because the calculation divides the total number of hours employees work by the total number of employees. As a result, the 34.6 hours estimate accounts for people who not only work part time or full time but also those who log overtime.
How many hours a day do people work?
Those with an advanced degree worked an average of 7.83 hours per day (including weekends), while those with only a high school diploma worked the most on an average day: 8.08 hours. Many more full-time employed persons worked on weekdays than on weekend days: 88.3% worked on an average weekday, compared with 31.6% on an average weekend day.
How long is a typical work week?
Click on a country for details. Around the world, the average workweek can range from less than 40 hours in length to close to 50 hours. High-income and/or developed countries with a cultural emphasis on work/life balance and adequate leisure/family time generally have shorter official workweeks (some as short as four days) and more vacation days.
