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.

CountryHours Worked 2018Hours Worked 2017Hours Worked 2016Hours Worked 2015
Mexico2148214821462140
Costa Rica21212178.90002204.70002148.2000
South Korea1993201820682083
Russia1972198019741978
Greece1956195619421943
Chile1941195419741988
Israel1910.13001917.98001922.08001895.4100
Czech Republic1792178417791756
Poland1792181518361834
United States1786178017811785
Ireland1782173817391741
New Zealand1756175317521757
Estonia1748179217911788
Hungary1741.10001741.300017601748.7000
Italy1722.600017191721.70001718
Portugal1722172717251722
Canada1708169517061712
Spain17011690.20001701.50001699.6000
Latvia1699169517091708
Slovakia1698171417401754
Japan1680170917141719
Australia1665.04001674.90001673.40001683.5500
Lithuania1616160816441622
Slovenia1602.80001621.70001652.90001687.8000
Switzerland156115701589.70001589.5000
Finland1555155615601563
Belgium1545154515451545
United Kingdom1538154315451531
France1520152215261519
Austria1511151115121500
Luxembourg1506150715131514
Sweden1474147014821471
Iceland1469148314941504
Netherlands1433143514381426
Norway1416.40001419.10001424.40001423.9000
Denmark1392140514121407
Germany1362.60001360.40001362.80001369.8000
Turkey0001832




Also Checkout: Happiest Countries in the World 2022

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Scroll to Top