Money Americans are working less - Page 10

**HemiEd** · 03-26-2025, 05:51 AM

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

RunKC · 03-26-2025, 06:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by notorious

I am an owner of a small business, and I can guarantee that the motivated and productive get raises and often.

Big business are terrible when it comes to this.

Average salary in the US is currently 64k. A standard 3% raise is less than 2k a year. And they try like hell not to promote many if any people in corporate.

Getting certifications and skills with experience can get you a 10+% raise in a new job. No wonder people job hop

**notorious** · 03-26-2025, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kccrow

It's about the only way to retain employees. If you don't reasonably reward the work they will move on quicker than shit.

1000%

**HemiEd** · 03-26-2025, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by htismaqe

It isn't the phone so much as it's the contract that comes with it. To get the absolute latest phones, you have to go with a bigger provider. The discount mobile providers generally give out older phones, which is how they keep costs down.

Interesting. I can see that if you are going to get your phone as part of a package/contract.

A while back I tried to switch to one of those $25 per month per line spinoffs of our current provider, Verizon, and they told me my old Pixel 3 phone couldn't handle it. It grinds my butt to pay the Verizon bill each month but out here that is seems to be the best choice.

IowaHawkeyeChief · 03-26-2025, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by |Zach|

I don't agree with the idea that an iphone is a luxury. If you want to be competitive in today's job market you need a smartphone. Not for everything...but to not be tapped in like that would be extremely limiting.

Yes and an Iphone 12, heck even earlier 8, is more than enough for a fraction of the price on a $30 a month unlimited plan. Kids pay $190 a month so they get a "free upgrade" annually. FREE...

**HemiEd** · 03-26-2025, 06:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IowaHawkeyeChief

Yes and an Iphone 12, heck even earlier 8, is more than enough for a fraction of the price on a $30 a month unlimited plan. Kids pay $190 a month so they get a "free upgrade" annually. FREE...

It's about priorities evidently! Having the very latest Iphone must be more important than most other things for them.

IowaHawkeyeChief · 03-26-2025, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HemiEd

Interesting. I can see that if you are going to get your phone as part of a package/contract.

A while back I tried to switch to one of those $25 per month per line spinoffs of our current provider, Verizon, and they told me my old Pixel 3 phone couldn't handle it. It grinds my butt to pay the Verizon bill each month but out here that is seems to be the best choice.

Google Pixel 6A is only $199 and a plan is $40 a month for 5G at Total by Verizon.

**Bearcat** · 03-26-2025, 06:56 PM

This thread got me curious about the KC housing market and comparing it to my housing purchases and what I was making at the time.

My theory was leaning a LITTLE towards "damn kids, stop spending money on all your shiny gadgets and wanting a 4 bedroom house, and get a real job!

" despite knowing all the stats and so forth.

I bought my first house when I was in a pretty entry level IT job at $50k/year and it was a 15 year loan and the mortgage payment was only like $750/month (and that wasn't THAT long ago).

So, I bumped that up to $60k/year and went searching for a house that would fit a mortgage payment of no more than 28% of monthly gross income (and no down payment).... and one of the first (and few) houses that wasn't in the worst neighborhoods in the city was completely gutted and another one was 500 sqft.

Bumping it up to $70k/year (a ~$1600 mortgage payment on a $190k loan (yikes, interest rates ****ing suck!)) yielded more results and I'd say would be the minimum annual income for a starter home... and that's maxing out your mortgage/income ratio.

That does suck.... granted, I've also heard from people making 6 figures or a combined income that's in the ~$80-100k range saying they can't ever afford anything, which leads to my initial theory.

Pablo · 03-26-2025, 07:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HemiEd

It's about priorities evidently! Having the very latest Iphone must be more important than most other things for them.

I guess that $1000 phone is really cramping some folks style. Meanwhile you had enough money to have multiple vehicles and a boat while making $5/hour. Totally reasonable and justifiable expenses for sure. Boy I wonder if the world you came up in was just completely different or something

BWillie · 03-26-2025, 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pepe Silvia

It would be nice to get paid to perform like Russell Wilson.

Russell Wilson has a better QB rating for the season than Patrick Mahomes...not just last season but the season before that one too.

Pablo · 03-26-2025, 07:09 PM

Boomers were totally infatuated with dumping tons of money into having 6 cars but a new iPhone is a bridge too far

BWillie · 03-26-2025, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pablo

I guess that $1000 phone is really cramping some folks style. Meanwhile you had enough money to have multiple vehicles and a boat while making $5/hour. Totally reasonable and justifiable expenses for sure. Boy I wonder if the world you came up in was just completely different or something

I'm looking forward to the trifold Samsung phone that will be called the G-Fold. Coming out later this year. It'll probably be about $3799.

Pablo · 03-26-2025, 07:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BWillie

I'm looking forward to the trifold Samsung phone that will be called the G-Fold. Coming out later this year. It'll probably be about $3799.

That seems fair. 3800 would have bought you 3 cars in 1975. And you’d make sure you had one for each day of the week just so you don’t get too bored driving the same thing

I have a 3 year old iPhone that I will most like keep for another 3 years because I don’t really give a shit about phones until they start sending nerf updates that make this one run like shit

kccrow · 03-26-2025, 07:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bearcat

This thread got me curious about the KC housing market and comparing it to my housing purchases and what I was making at the time.

My theory was leaning a LITTLE towards "damn kids, stop spending money on all your shiny gadgets and wanting a 4 bedroom house, and get a real job!

" despite knowing all the stats and so forth.

I bought my first house when I was in a pretty entry level IT job at $50k/year and it was a 15 year loan and the mortgage payment was only like $750/month (and that wasn't THAT long ago).

So, I bumped that up to $60k/year and went searching for a house that would fit a mortgage payment of no more than 28% of monthly gross income (and no down payment).... and one of the first (and few) houses that wasn't in the worst neighborhoods in the city was completely gutted and another one was 500 sqft.

Bumping it up to $70k/year (a ~$1600 mortgage payment on a $190k loan (yikes, interest rates ****ing suck!)) yielded more results and I'd say would be the minimum annual income for a starter home... and that's maxing out your mortgage/income ratio.

That does suck.... granted, I've also heard from people making 6 figures or a combined income that's in the ~$80-100k range saying they can't ever afford anything, which leads to my initial theory.

With no down payment, you're going to get slapped with a PMI, and if it's a 0 DP it's probably going to be like 2% or more.

If you buy a home for $200k with a 6.5% interest rate, no DP s0 2.25% PMI, 15-year term, assume 3k in property tax, and 1500 in homeowners insurance, you're looking at total monthly payments of about $2,870. If you want that to be 30% or less of your income, you have to make at least $115k a year.

The only way to get where you're at is on a 30-year term and you better have money down to avoid PMI.

Pepe Silvia · 03-26-2025, 07:17 PM

Speaking of working less Angel Reese is threatening to sit out if you guys don't pay her. Give me a few minutes I have to go laugh my f***ing ass off and then I will be back.

rydogg58 · 03-26-2025, 07:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BWillie

Russell Wilson has a better QB rating for the season than Patrick Mahomes...not just last season but the season before that one too.

So did Baker Mayfield, and Goff, and Burrow, Hurts, Darnold, Herbert, Allen, Carr, Tua, Daniels, Love, Purdy, Stafford, and Malik Willis.

Nobody, other than people that don't like Mahomes, thinks QB rating means anything when it comes to identifying who the elite quarterbacks are in this league.

03-26-2025, 05:51 AM
HemiEd Supporter Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Ozarks Casino cash: $-239436	Americans are working less 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
Posts: 34,791

03-26-2025, 06:56 PM	#142
Bearcat Would an idiot do that? Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Arizona Casino cash: $-805069	This thread got me curious about the KC housing market and comparing it to my housing purchases and what I was making at the time. My theory was leaning a LITTLE towards "damn kids, stop spending money on all your shiny gadgets and wanting a 4 bedroom house, and get a real job! " despite knowing all the stats and so forth. I bought my first house when I was in a pretty entry level IT job at $50k/year and it was a 15 year loan and the mortgage payment was only like $750/month (and that wasn't THAT long ago). So, I bumped that up to $60k/year and went searching for a house that would fit a mortgage payment of no more than 28% of monthly gross income (and no down payment).... and one of the first (and few) houses that wasn't in the worst neighborhoods in the city was completely gutted and another one was 500 sqft. Bumping it up to $70k/year (a ~$1600 mortgage payment on a $190k loan (yikes, interest rates ****ing suck!)) yielded more results and I'd say would be the minimum annual income for a starter home... and that's maxing out your mortgage/income ratio. That does suck.... granted, I've also heard from people making 6 figures or a combined income that's in the ~$80-100k range saying they can't ever afford anything, which leads to my initial theory. __________________
Posts: 59,406

03-26-2025, 07:09 PM	#145
Pablo Ultrabanned Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Northland Casino cash: $-1620644	Boomers were totally infatuated with dumping tons of money into having 6 cars but a new iPhone is a bridge too far
Posts: 43,782	2 0

03-26-2025, 07:17 PM	#149
Pepe Silvia In Search of a Life Join Date: Oct 2012 Casino cash: $-1685336	Speaking of working less Angel Reese is threatening to sit out if you guys don't pay her. Give me a few minutes I have to go laugh my f***ing ass off and then I will be back.
Posts: 20,939	2 0