Americans are working less

[HemiEd]

I have my own theories on this, such as the stay at home working during covid and the stimulus money being the worst thing that has happened in a very long time.


Why Americans Are Working Less

Gallup finds that average hours worked have dropped progressively since 2019 when U.S. employees reported working an average of 44.1 hours. In 2024, they work 42.9 hours per week.

The decline in hours worked is more pronounced among younger (those younger than 35) than older workers (those aged 35 and older). Between 2019 and 2024, older employees have seen an average reduction of just under one hour per person per week, while younger employees have reduced their hours by nearly two hours.

Over a year, that’s the equivalent of older employees taking an extra week off of work and younger employees taking two weeks. These trends apply to full-time employees working at least 30 hours per week.

Possible Reasons for the Drop in Average Hours Worked per Week
Several new findings may explain this shift:

Overall employee wellbeing has been on the decline.
Employees now have less trust in institutions in general and feel more detached from their employers.
After a decade of steady improvement, employee engagement has reverted to its 2014 level.
Advances in technology may be making work more efficient. Gallup finds that nearly half (45%) of employees say AI has helped them improve their productivity. However, a workforce that is becoming more technically efficient and less engaged may lack the motivation needed for long-term growth.
Employees -- especially younger ones -- now place a higher priority on their overall wellbeing. In fact, work-life balance and better overall wellbeing now rank among the most important considerations when choosing a new job.
Additionally, data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows declines in overall hours worked per person, particularly in industries that traditionally employ more young workers such as retail, leisure and hospitality.

The Connection Between Hours Worked and Employee Burnout
Burnout may be a major reason why employees are working fewer hours. The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified “burnout” as a work-related syndrome resulting from chronic stress.

Previous Gallup research has found that an unmanageable workload is one of the contributing factors to burnout. This may help explain why employees report higher burnout (very often or always) as the number of hours they work rises above 45 hours per week.

more here

https://www.gallup.com/workplace/658...78644b3aaad4a0

[Dunerdr]

See ya in DC.

[RealSNR]

Skyy Moore does the work of 10 Americans and still sucks

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by Dunerdr

See ya in DC.

Yeah, I thought about that after already posting it. Thought it was a pretty interesting subject though.

[Mr_Tomahawk]

Work smarter, not harder.

[Monticore]

29 years full time at 37.5 hours a week is plenty for me lol , I got asked to do OT yesterday told them to shove it.

[RealSNR]

[chiefzilla1501]

A lot of it is also the gig economy especially with younger generations. They're less inclined to work the same job, same company for 40 years. They may pick up random gigs like setting up an Etsy shop or an Uber shift.

On the one hand there isn't as much loyalty. On the other hand we may see a surge in entrepreneurship. Actually not terrible qualities considering how much AI and automation is going to disrupt the future of work

[Bearcat]

I wonder what salary increases look like, too, since Covid.... I'd guess maybe just now recovering in the past year or so, combined with work from home making it easier to get off work.

On one hand, my current salary is definitely tied to working assloads of hours in my 20s and 30s (and I always found it funny how the people who worked the least tended to complain the most about how much they got paid)... OTOH, if your company doesn't basically guarantee they're doing everything they can to make working assloads of hours pay off, then **** 'em.

[Hoover]

hmm what happened. between 2019 and 2024....

[HemiEd]

Originally Posted by Bearcat

I wonder what salary increases look like, too, since Covid.... I'd guess maybe just now recovering in the past year or so, combined with work from home making it easier to get off work.

On one hand, my current salary is definitely tied to working assloads of hours in my 20s and 30s (and I always found it funny how the people who worked the least tended to complain the most about how much they got paid)... OTOH, if your company doesn't basically guarantee they're doing everything they can to make working assloads of hours pay off, then **** 'em.

That was always my experience. The more effort and dedication you put in, the better you got paid in the long run.

[Couch-Potato]

Good.

[wazu]

This says we're still working more than 40 hours per week, so we still need to chill.

[Zebedee DuBois]

I'm doing my part!!

(of not working)

[Red Dawg]

I have had a job since I was 15. No I idea what's it's like not to work. In 8 years I will be 60. That's all they are getting out of me full time. My job stocking coffee pallets at Sams awaits.