Hardest Working Countries 2022

The normal office day in the United States is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Working an average of 34.4 hours each week, most American employees are employed.

Many individuals, however, work longer hours across the globe. The number of hours an employee is required to work is influenced by various variables, including cultural norms, legal requirements, and the economy.

Many individuals are forced to work irregular shifts to make ends meet and feed their families. The richest nations in the world aren’t usually the ones with the most people working their tails off.

As an additional consideration, nations with shorter workweeks don’t always earn less money per year than those that work long hours.

According to European data, the Netherlands’ typical worker earns $54,262 per year and works 37.3 hours each week. Working 40.7 hours a week, the typical Portuguese worker earns $25,487.

Many nations in Europe and the rest of the globe work fewer than 40 hours per week on average, although that is not the case or possible in other countries.

People in the United States typically have difficulty striking a work-life balance, so they forgo vacation time to get more done at work. On the other hand, American employees may be astonished by the amount of time they put in each week in other nations.

1. Mexico

People in Mexico put in more effort than those in the United States. Workers in Mexico put in an average of 2,148 hours a year in the office. As a result of the country’s high unemployment and poor wages, Mexico’s 48-hour workweek regulation is seldom implemented.

2. Costa Rica

Costa Rica works an average of 2,121 hours a year, ranking second globally. Many Costa Ricans have to work long hours to support themselves and their families because of its high poverty and unemployment rates. In 2016, employees put in an average of 2,204.7 hours a year, the most of any country in recent memory.

3. South Korea

The average annual hours worked by Koreans amount to 1,993 hours. Because of a rule forcing employees to take a vacation, this amount has fallen from 2,083 hours in 2015 to 2,063 hours in 2018. Due to dwindling birth rates and productivity, the rule was created to offer individuals time to form families, raise living standards, and generate new employment opportunities for the workforce.

4. Russia

The typical Russian worker spends 1,972 hours at work in a calendar year. Only a small percentage of Russian employees work more than 50 hours a week because of rigorous overtime regulations.

In addition to public holidays, Russian workers are entitled to 28 compensated vacation days under the country’s labor regulations. When there are so few part-time workers in Russia, it clocks in almost 200 hours higher than the United States (about 5 percent of employees work part-time).

5. Greece

Greece is the second-hardest working nation in Europe, after Russia, with an average of 1,956 hours per year. After the global economic crisis of 2007-2008 and Greece’s economic fragility, Greece defaulted on its debt in 2015, skipping a €1.6 billion payment.

As a result, the number of people looking for work shot up rapidly. The jobless rate in Greece remains high, at 16.4 percent, resulting in longer hours for workers.

6. Chile

Compared to their American counterparts, Chilean employees work an extra 155 hours on average, clocking in at 1,941 hours a year. About 16 percent of all employees work more than 50 hours a week, despite a legal maximum of 45 hours per week.

One-fourth of Chileans live in poverty, with the poorest earning about $2,400 per year and the richest one-fourth earning roughly $31,000.

7. Israel

In Israel, people put roughly 1,910.13 hours per year into their occupations. Israel is home to a huge number of hard-working, highly-skilled workers. Israel has a vast pool of STEM and R&D talent and ranks second internationally in terms of R&D intensity as one of the most inventive nations. Additionally, there is a slew of innovative business minds in Israel.

8. Poland

The average year for a Pole is 1,792 hours of employment. An estimated ten percent of working males go beyond the 40-hour weekly norm. Poland’s average annual pay is a little over $30,000, making it one of the lowest-paid countries in Europe.

9. The Czech Republic

Compared to Poland, Czech employees put in an average of 1,792 hours a year. There is roughly 5.7 percent of workers in the Czech Republic work more than 50 hours a week on average. In the Czech Republic, the average yearly salary is about $26,962.

10. The United States

US citizens are the world’s ninth most hard-working people. The typical American worker clocks in at 1,786 hours per year, which is less than Poland and the Czech Republic. There is no paid sick leave or maternity leave for American employees, unlike in Europe.

The mining and logging sectors in the United States employ the most people who work the most hours per week, with an average of 44 hours per week.

Also Checkout: Happiest Countries in the World 2022