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Also keep in mind that the numbers are not corrected for part-time vs full-time figures. e.g. my country (the Netherlands) is listed as 1439 hours vs Mexico 22

Also keep in mind that the numbers are not corrected for part-time vs full-time figures. e.g. my country (the Netherlands) is listed as 1439 hours vs Mexico 2257 hours annually per worker. You might come to the conclusion that people in Mexico work must longer than in the Netherlands. However, only 17% of people in Mexico work part-time, vs 37% in the Netherlands. Countries with low participation of part-time workers therefore will look as if they are working much longer hours.

moate 8y ago
But why would you need to correct for that? If more of the labor force works part time, more of the labor force is working fewer hours. Are you assuming these part time workers are carrying multiple jobs which aren't being listed in sum (eg 20 Hours/week at Job A, 10 Hours/week at job B for 30 hours, instead of 15 if each job is separate?)
- hectormalot 8y ago
  More likely that the part time force consists of families where both parents work eg 60-80%. This is at least quite common for friends around me. Perhaps ‘correcting’ is the wrong word. But the title feels like: this is a ranked list which countries work hardest. I think the figure fails to capture that a family where both parents work 30 hours is not working less than a family where only one parent works 50 hours. In my opinion, if that’s the comparison we want to make, it would be more fair to look at average hours worked per capita, or average hours worked per capita between ages 16-70, or something similar. That would capture both average hours and labor force participation.
- ithkuil 8y ago
  To the other extreme: why would you correct for unemployment (which is what happens if you measure worked hours only for those who have a job)? After all an unemployed person is a "part-time" worker where the fraction of time spent working is exactly zero.
  - mercutio2 8y ago
    Agreed. Hours worked per prime-age inhabitant, would be very interesting.
germinalphrase 8y ago
Would you attribute this higher rate of part time work to a strong social welfare system in the Netherlands or to some other factor?
- smueller1234 8y ago
  Not a complete response to your question, but at least it is very common for families to to have both parents working part time (eg. four days each) and pay for childcare only for the remaining days. In countries where it's more common to have one full time salary in a family, the average working time per worker would be higher.
  - germinalphrase 8y ago
    inlove that that is a common arrangement for parents. Do businesses accommodate a reduction in hours to facilitate this? We’re not very accommodating of parenthood here in the US. Medical costs aside, my employer only offers two weeks of paid parental leave after having a child.
    - hectormalot 8y ago
      In short: yes, many businesses facilitate this. Ironically, Dutch paternity leave is only 2 days (paid), but you’re legally allowed to take something like 26 weeks unpaid in the first few years as parental leave. (Vs e.g. Sweden with 6-9 months). The law is changing to a few weeks next year I believe. I think it differs by employer. Mine gives extra days paid leave for parents as they consider the 2 days too short (but this is uncommon) and proactively asked if I was considering 90% or 80% for the coming year, and shared how others have done this. At my wife’s workplace there are many people with children, and the large majority works either 3 or 4 days per week.
      - germinalphrase 8y ago
        Two weeks is common in the US; however, it tends to be all-or-nothing with regard to hours.
tpeo 8y ago
>Average annual hours worked is defined as the total number of hours actually worked per year divided by the average number of people in employment per year. Actual hours worked include regular work hours of full-time, part-time and part-year workers, paid and unpaid overtime, hours worked in additional jobs, and exclude time not worked because of public holidays, annual paid leave, own illness, injury and temporary disability, maternity leave, parental leave, schooling or training, slack work for technical or economic reasons, strike or labour dispute, bad weather, compensation leave and other reasons https://data.oecd.org/emp/hours-worked.htm https://data.oecd.org/emp/hours-worked.htm
EZ-E 8y ago
I think that also explains why Germany is so low on the list

moate 8y ago

But why would you need to correct for that? If more of the labor force works part time, more of the labor force is working fewer hours. Are you assuming these part time workers are carrying multiple jobs which aren't being listed in sum (eg 20 Hours/week at Job A, 10 Hours/week at job B for 30 hours, instead of 15 if each job is separate?)

hectormalot 8y ago
More likely that the part time force consists of families where both parents work eg 60-80%. This is at least quite common for friends around me. Perhaps ‘correcting’ is the wrong word. But the title feels like: this is a ranked list which countries work hardest. I think the figure fails to capture that a family where both parents work 30 hours is not working less than a family where only one parent works 50 hours. In my opinion, if that’s the comparison we want to make, it would be more fair to look at average hours worked per capita, or average hours worked per capita between ages 16-70, or something similar. That would capture both average hours and labor force participation.
ithkuil 8y ago
To the other extreme: why would you correct for unemployment (which is what happens if you measure worked hours only for those who have a job)? After all an unemployed person is a "part-time" worker where the fraction of time spent working is exactly zero.
- mercutio2 8y ago
  Agreed. Hours worked per prime-age inhabitant, would be very interesting.

germinalphrase 8y ago

Would you attribute this higher rate of part time work to a strong social welfare system in the Netherlands or to some other factor?

smueller1234 8y ago
Not a complete response to your question, but at least it is very common for families to to have both parents working part time (eg. four days each) and pay for childcare only for the remaining days. In countries where it's more common to have one full time salary in a family, the average working time per worker would be higher.
- germinalphrase 8y ago
  inlove that that is a common arrangement for parents. Do businesses accommodate a reduction in hours to facilitate this? We’re not very accommodating of parenthood here in the US. Medical costs aside, my employer only offers two weeks of paid parental leave after having a child.
  - hectormalot 8y ago
    In short: yes, many businesses facilitate this. Ironically, Dutch paternity leave is only 2 days (paid), but you’re legally allowed to take something like 26 weeks unpaid in the first few years as parental leave. (Vs e.g. Sweden with 6-9 months). The law is changing to a few weeks next year I believe. I think it differs by employer. Mine gives extra days paid leave for parents as they consider the 2 days too short (but this is uncommon) and proactively asked if I was considering 90% or 80% for the coming year, and shared how others have done this. At my wife’s workplace there are many people with children, and the large majority works either 3 or 4 days per week.
    - germinalphrase 8y ago
      Two weeks is common in the US; however, it tends to be all-or-nothing with regard to hours.

tpeo 8y ago

>Average annual hours worked is defined as the total number of hours actually worked per year divided by the average number of people in employment per year. Actual hours worked include regular work hours of full-time, part-time and part-year workers, paid and unpaid overtime, hours worked in additional jobs, and exclude time not worked because of public holidays, annual paid leave, own illness, injury and temporary disability, maternity leave, parental leave, schooling or training, slack work for technical or economic reasons, strike or labour dispute, bad weather, compensation leave and other reasons https://data.oecd.org/emp/hours-worked.htm https://data.oecd.org/emp/hours-worked.htm

EZ-E 8y ago

I think that also explains why Germany is so low on the list