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[nomad soul]

10 hardest working countries
By Annalyn Kurtz, CNNMoney | 2013 July 16
Source: http://money.cnn.com/gallery/news/economy/2013/07/16/10-hardest-working-countries/index.html

(CNN) Where in the world do workers toil the most each year? The United States is high on the list, but a few other countries work even harder.

1. Mexico
Average annual hours: 2,317 / Average annual wages: $9,885
In Mexico, workers average 45 hours a week, the most of any industrialized nation. They work about 519 hours more than the typical American worker each year, only to earn less than a fifth of the pay. When the OECD (oecd.org) ranks industrialized nations by education and work-life balance, Mexico comes out on the bottom in both cases. Only about a third of adults -- ages 25 to 64 -- have earned the equivalent of a high school diploma. There's also a huge gender gap in the job market. Whereas 78% of men have jobs, only about 43% of adult women work for pay.

2. Chile
Average annual hours: 2,102 / Average annual wages: $15,820
In Chile, about 16% of all workers labor more than 50 hours a week. Over a year, Chileans work about 300 hours more than a typical American worker. Social inequality is the worst of any industrialized nation, according to OECD. The top 20% of the population lives on about $31,000 a year after taxes, while the bottom 20% take home less than $2,400 a year.

3. Korea
Average annual hours: 2,092 / Average annual wages: $35,406
Korea's labor force is still deeply tied to traditional gender roles. About 75% of Korean men work in paid jobs, while only 53% of women do so. At home, men spend an average of 45 minutes per day cooking, cleaning or caring -- one of the lowest levels of male domestic work among industrialized nations. This is five times less than the average Korean woman, who spends 227 minutes per day on domestic work.
As Korea's working age population ages, it is faced with a dual challenge: too few babies and too little female employment, the OECD says.

4. Estonia
Average annual hours: 2,021 / Average annual wages: $17,323
In Estonia, wages are low and long-term unemployment is high, compared to other European countries. Those who are employed tend to work a full 40-hour week and flexible work schedules are uncommon. Only 10% of Estonian employees work part-time.

5. Russian Federation
Average annual hours: 2,002 / Average annual wages: $15,286*
The common work week is 40 hours long in Russia, and strict overtime laws mean few workers go beyond 50 hours. Meanwhile, Russian labor laws grant all workers 28 days of paid vacation, in addition to public holidays. That said, the average Russian worker still puts in 200 more work hours each year than an American, mainly because part-time work is rare. Only about 5% of employees work part time.
(*Wage data wasn't available for Russia. Data reflects average household income, after taxes, according to OECD.)

6. Poland
Average annual hours: 1,893 / Average annual wages: $20,069
The average Polish worker averages 40 hours a week, but for about 10% of working men in the country, the work week extends more than 50 hours. Temporary jobs are also quite common, with about one in five Polish workers employed on short-term contracts.

7. United States
Average annual hours: 1,798 / Average annual wages: $54,450
Four out of five American employees work at least 35 hours a week, and the country is the only developed nation not to guarantee workers a right to some vacation time each year. Unlike most European countries, U.S. labor laws also don't guarantee workers access to paid sick leave or maternity leave. Workers in the mining and logging industry tend to work the longest hours, averaging 44 hours a week.

8. Hungary
Average annual hours: 1,797 / Average annual wages: $19,437
In 2002, Hungary considered shortening the official work week to 38 hours, with even the country's prime minister on board. But the proposal never became law, and about 71% of employed Hungarians still work 39 to 41 hours a week. Like in other Central European countries, the share of part-time work is very low. Only about 5% of Hungarian workers average fewer than 30 hours a week.

9. Japan
Average annual hours: 1,765 / Average annual wages: $35,143
Japanese workers have a reputation for working long hours. In 2012, the average Japanese worked ranked ninth among industrialized nations for the most hours worked each year. But Japanese work hours have gradually declined since the 1990s. Whereas workers in Japan averaged 1,910 hours a year back in 1995, they worked 145 fewer hours in 2012.

10. Slovak Republic
Average annual hours: 1,749 / Average annual wages: $19,068
Flexible work schedule? What's that? Similar to Russia, part-time work is practically non-existent in the Slovak Republic. Only 4% of workers in the country work fewer than 30 hours a week.

(End of article)

[Prof.Gringo]

[Sashadroogie]

These surveys are all very well, but I'm not convinced of their accuracy. Hours spent 'at work' does not always mean 'hard at work'. Ten hours in an office in Moscow can often really just mean two hours of work, one hour plus of fag breaks, three hours of Facebook, two hours of lunch, and generally just skiving off the rest.

[JustinC]

Then there are the cultures where leaving after the boss is the only way to secure a chance of promotion when the opportunity arises. It doesn't actually matter what you're doing just as long as you're at your desk and, subsequently, away from family and friends and any chance of a balance between work and play.

This is a list of the 'hardest workers' but it actually should be called 'Work the longest hours and so probably are the least efficient'. I don't doubt some individuals can put in 12 hour days and stay productive but no nation is only made up of that type.

[spiral78]

Yes, I watch admin staff at some schools arrive at 8 and get started at 10. Not that the teachers are necessarily any better!

[Sashadroogie]

Teachers have set contact hours, though. And they usually can't slack off during a lesson for a Facebook chat or fag break.

[plumpy nut]

[Sashadroogie]

Most of them probably already know...

Though, perhaps more surprisingly, I met a fellow who didn't know 'slack off'. Claimed it wasn't used anywhere in the US. I was quite sceptical of this, but perhaps better-informed posters can confirm or deny.

[johnslat]

Dear Sasha,

I'm not going to cut that individual any slack - perhaps that person lived in a cave in the backwoods. Of course it's widely used in the States.

I suspect, though, that "fag break" would create a mistaken concept in the minds of many 'Mercans (those outside of the EFL field, anyway).

Regards,
John

[steki47]

[Phil_K]

Much as Sasha says, I suspect what we are seeing here are the most inefficient countries, rather than the hardest working. I'd imagine that in terms of hours, the UK comes pretty low on that list, but I think it's high on the productivity league.

[Sashadroogie]

[Shroob]

How China isn't on that list is beyond me. Not that I'm trying to portray them as hardworking, just that they seem to be extremely capable of spending a huge amount of time to accomplish nothing.

[BadBeagleBad]

[spiral78]

Had to warn a couple of students once not to ask 'kin ah bum a fag' while visiting NYC.


I think there is some truth to the 'inefficient' label (but not applied to Mexicans!) as Slovaks are reputed to be pretty inefficient in the region. Not entirely true, though, as stereotypes tend to/not to be.