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

[crayzkirk]

Lots of good points here, things have changed a lot in the work place. I worked for three companies until retirement, was salaried for all of them. I definitely worked a lot more than 40 hours per week and was 24/7 support for all except the last 10 years. I worked in IT for all of those years and because of my technical knowledge and problem solving skills, I tackled a lot of work that others didn't want to do. One big change what when IT allowed the MBAs to take over management. This created a ceiling that we could no longer cross and hindered our output because there was no one I could go to for advice. Around this same time, companies started reducing benefits (combine sick/vacation days into PTO, eliminate pensions) and executive pay soared.

Then the offshore hiring started and executive pay soared again. The MBAs referred to IT people as code monkeys. Most thought what we did was easy, mostly because I made it look easy.

Never really worked from home much until 2020, at first I would struggle to maintain focus however I always got my work done and always found extra work to do.

Anyways, I'm glad to be out. Now the only issues I have are dealing with the SS office and the finance companies to get my 401Ks into an IRA.

I do understand the younger generation not wanting to work themselves to death. I watched my father toll in a job he despised and then die at 52.

I guess the other thing that I struggle with is figuring out what I want to do when I grow up. Ever since I was 15, I have spent my time doing for someone else. It's a different mindset that I'm not used to thinking about what I want.

[htismaqe]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Cool. Thanks for the explanation.

The origin of my question is that I've wondered if a lot of home-school kids get narrow educations, intentionally or inadvertently. I figure that very few parents have broad enough educations and interests to teach everything a student should learn. But getting an online curriculum where that stuff is already thought out and packaged could solve that problem. I can empathize with your other concerns.

In my youth, I don't think home schooling was really a thing. Or at least it wasn't in my part of the world. I think maybe we had one kid who got pulled out of the system because his parents were mad about some sports stuff, but I'm not even sure about that. The closest we had was some religious fundamentalist school that had about six students. I didn't even know it existed until I graduated and those kids were listed among the graduates.

There is certainly a sizeable portion of the homeschool community here that is doing it for religious reasons. However, about the time we started homeschooling there was a big swell in people like us, pulling kids out of school for non-religious reasons. Instead of trying to understand why it was happening, the school district decided to get defensive and treat us like trash.

[Rausch]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

There is certainly a sizeable portion of the homeschool community here that is doing it for religious reasons. However, about the time we started homeschooling there was a big swell in people like us, pulling kids out of school for non-religious reasons. Instead of trying to understand why it was happening, the school district decided to get defensive and treat us like trash.

That's because they believe your kids belong to the state - not you.

[crayzkirk]

One thing that I was taught in college, in a management class, was that money will never make you happy in your job. Lack of money will lead to dissatisfaction; however, money will not make you happy.

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by crayzkirk

One thing that I was taught in college, in a management class, was that money will never make you happy in your job. Lack of money will lead to dissatisfaction; however, money will not make you happy.

Money sure made me happy because what it bought me was freedom.

People that can never get enough and always want more more more won't ever be happy if they become wealthy or well off. Because they can't stop and smell the roses. So often those are the type of people that use money to buy things and not freedom.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by htismaqe

We didn't home school for religious or similar reasons. We home schooled because our local school district is shit. My kids aren't into sports. They're into art, music, and stuff like that. They were both good academically too.

I won't go into exhaustive detail but some of the things we had to deal with:

We were in the Lees Summit school district for most of my kids school years. That's a really good school district or at least it was in the 90's-2000's.

I coached youth little league baseball, football and basketball. We would have kids that were home schooled on our teams. Almost all of them had trouble socializing with the other kids. That was decades ago so it could have changed.

[notorious]

Originally Posted by BWillie

Money sure made me happy because what it bought me was freedom.

People that can never get enough and always want more more more won't ever be happy if they become wealthy or well off. Because they can't stop and smell the roses. So often those are the type of people that use money to buy things and not freedom.

Nailed it.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by BWillie

Money sure made me happy because what it bought me was freedom.

People that can never get enough and always want more more more won't ever be happy if they become wealthy or well off. Because they can't stop and smell the roses. So often those are the type of people that use money to buy things and not freedom.

I could have made a shit ton of money if I would have traveled or been away from home. I decided I'd be there for my kid and mot pursue money as the end all be all. Money was not the most important part of life? Not for me anyway.

I was there on weekends to coach his sports teams. I wasn't out drinking with buddies. I was present.

Most of the kids on the team, their dads didn't come to the games and most ended up at our house to hang because their home environment.

[Bearcat]

Originally Posted by BWillie

Money sure made me happy because what it bought me was freedom.

People that can never get enough and always want more more more won't ever be happy if they become wealthy or well off. Because they can't stop and smell the roses. So often those are the type of people that use money to buy things and not freedom.

Yep, I'd say it's the chasing of money/things/Joneses/happiness that will never make you happy.

If you're well grounded in terms of what you make and what you spend your money on, money can sure as shit make you happy. I'm also happy for every raise I get, not just for the end result of more money, but being valued enough at work to have earned more.

[BWillie]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

I could have made a shit ton of money if I would have traveled or been away from home. I decided I'd be there for my kid and mot pursue money as the end all be all. Money was not the most important part of life? Not for me anyway.

I was there on weekends to coach his sports teams. I wasn't out drinking with buddies. I was present.

Most of the kids on the team, their dads didn't come to the games and most ended up at our house to hang because their home environment.

Exactamundo. Some people are convinced the only thing that matters if always chasing the dollar at any cost even after they already caught the dollar.

[TripleThreat]

My opinion, I think it's stupid that people still think people should be required to work a 9-5 just to fill the appropriate hours. if you can get your work done in less than a 9-5, then you should be paid the full time and allowed to log off or go home early.

Requiring people to stay just pushes people to find other ways to waste time... I remember at the office I would find ways to steal company time by wasting time in the break room, other cubicles, sitting on my phone, taking a walk outside... You can't tell someone they aren't working if they are at the office, the only WAY you can tell someone they aren't working at the office is if there work isn't getting done... Which goes back to my original point.

[Mosbonian]

Originally Posted by crayzkirk

I do understand the younger generation not wanting to work themselves to death. I watched my father toll in a job he despised and then die at 52.
It.

I think there are many in the younger generation who will/can put in the effort that our generation did they just tell their peers they won't just to be accepted.

Every generation has those who seek the easiest path and justify it saying they don't want to be like their parents. Heck....I said I didn't want to be a truck driver like my grandpa, my uncles and my Father.

Unfortunately the path I chose required me to work hard in a different way.

I am betting that the younger generation will find out the same thing.

[Mosbonian]

Originally Posted by TripleThreat

My opinion, I think it's stupid that people still think people should be required to work a 9-5 just to fill the appropriate hours. if you can get your work done in less than a 9-5, then you should be paid the full time and allowed to log off or go home early.

Requiring people to stay just pushes people to find other ways to waste time... I remember at the office I would find ways to steal company time by wasting time in the break room, other cubicles, sitting on my phone, taking a walk outside... You can't tell someone they aren't working if they are at the office, the only WAY you can tell someone they aren't working at the office is if there work isn't getting done... Which goes back to my original point.

Really sounds like the company you work for didn't realize what all you could accomplish in a regular 8 hour work day and didn't plan accordingly...I never had a workday where I finished my assigned job description.

[TripleThreat]

Originally Posted by Mosbonian

Really sounds like the company you work for didn't realize what all you could accomplish in a regular 8 hour work day and didn't plan accordingly...I never had a workday where I finished my assigned job description.

My work is “never done” but I’m also never behind, if that makes sense?? You sound like you’re referring to clerical work which again is an old way of looking at things and how company’s “used” to operate.

[Mosbonian]

Originally Posted by TripleThreat

My work is “never done” but I’m also never behind, if that makes sense?? You sound like you’re referring to clerical work which again is an old way of looking at things and how company’s “used” to operate.

Thanks for assuming I was talking about "clerical " work

I have been the Corporate Credit Manager all my life the last 25 years for Billion dollar companies. I have managed teams of 10-40 associates. Besides managing/coaching team members i had my own tasks which, while most were part of automated processes still needed review. Throw in meetings and you have an easy 9-10 hour day.

That doesn't mean I didn't have days that I could complete tasks in a traditional 8 hour day...

If your company only gives you enough to keep you busy half of the day then your Manager is wasting company resources.