Economic Growth

Europeans Work Less, and More are Unemployed

Last year the average American worked 1,904 hours, according to the International Labor Office in Geneva, Switzerland. This was the second longest work year among major countries (see figure http://www.ncpa.org/pd/gif/longwk.gif). Only the Japanese worked longer, 1,990 hours per year on average. By contrast, most Europeans worked far less. In Germany, the typical worker worked just 1,573 hours in 1997.

Not only are work hours lower in Europe, but they are falling more rapidly than here. Annual work hours have fallen 8.3 percent in Germany in the last 10 years, while they have declined just 0.4 percent in the U.S.

Of course, over time all countries have seen sharp reductions in work hours.

  • In the last century, 10 hour days and 6 day workweeks were standard.

  • According to economist Angus Maddison, the average American worker spent 2,974 hours on the job in 1870.

  • This figure was about the same in Europe as well, where the lowest annual work hours were 2,935 in Austria.

According to the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, the average worker started working at the age of 13 in 1870 and life expectancy was just 43.5 years. Most workers were never able to retire at all and worked until they died.

There are those who believe that Americans are working too much and that the U.S. should adopt European-style labor policies. For example, most Europeans get four to six weeks of vacation per year, compared to just 1.5 to 2.5 weeks for Americans. But the Europeans pay a heavy price for their longer vacations in the form of higher unemployment. The unemployment rate is now above 11 percent in Germany, Italy and France. Naturally, such involuntary "vacations" are not accounted for in the work hours data.

Source: Bruce Bartlett, senior fellow, National Center for Policy Analysis, September 8, 1998.

For text go to http://www.ncpa.org/oped/bartlett.html

Home | Support Us | All Issues | Social Security | Debate Central | Contact Us

Dallas Headquarters: 12770 Coit Rd., Suite 800 - Dallas, TX 75251-1339 - 972/386-6272 - Fax 972/386-0924
Washington Office: 601 Pennsylvania Ave. NW, Suite 900 South Building - Washington, DC 20004 - 202/220-3082 - Fax 202/220-3096
© 2001 NCPA