Press Release
Data shows USA is not prepared for 4-day work week
A new study from payroll experts, FMP Global, shows that the USA works the most hours per week when compared to European countries in the study such as Germany, Italy, France, Spain, and Sweden.
Investigating the possibility of a 4-day work week and the likelihood of its introduction by major countries around the world, the data reveals that the USA is not in a strong position to take the shorter working week from idea to reality, working an average of 40.5 hours a week; the most hours worked out of the countries compared in the study.
It is recommended that a 4-day work week should total 32 hours, which can be structured as shorter working days, or one day off entirely. Currently, the country closest to hitting the 32-hour target is Denmark, who work 37.6 hours a week on average, and also rank the third highest for happiness in the 2020 Gallup World Poll and World Happiness Report. The USA currently ranks 14th.
The USA were also the country to have the least days off for vacations and holidays per year, with a total of ten. Significantly the lowest number in the study, this is half as many days as Ireland, Italy, and the Netherlands who all have a minimum of 20 days holiday available. The leader of the category, France, offer a whole 30 days off; triple that of America.
Average weekly hours worked per country:
- Denmark – 37.60
- Norway – 38.40
- Germany – 38.80
- Italy – 38.80
- Netherlands – 38.90
- France – 39.10
- Ireland – 39.10
- Finland – 39.20
- Spain – 39.30
- Sweden – 39.80
- USA – 40.50
Caine Bird, Expert Payroll Writer at FMP Global said: “The data provides a necessary insight into American work culture, and how their approach compares to those of European countries. The 4-day work week has steadily gained attention, however putting this into practice can result in a shock to the system if people are too used to working longer hours.
“Reducing working hours and offering more holiday may sound counter-intuitive to being productive, however the data shows that by doing exactly this, staff feel more energised and ready to work effectively as a result of having more opportunity to relax and invest in their personal time.”
It’s not all bad news for the USA though, as they sat mid-table on the analysis of productivity increase per country, at $65.51 an hour. This represents the economic result of one hour of work, so for every hour an employee works, $65.51 is generated in the economy. Ireland leads this category, at $99.13 generated an hour – a huge $18.30 an hour more than Norway in second place.