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Who wants to work more? Revisiting the decline in average hours worked

Author

Listed:
  • Berson, Clémence
  • Weißler, Marco

Abstract

Average hours worked (AHW) have been declining in recent years, falling particularly strongly during the pandemic before returning to trend. This box examines the key drivers behind the decline in AHW, with two factors playing a dominant role. First, the proportion of employees working zero hours during the reference week spiked during the pandemic – owing to the closure of businesses and higher sick leave rates – and recovered only slowly. Second, the proportion of employees working very long hours has continued to fall over the past decade. JEL Classification: J22

Suggested Citation

  • Berson, Clémence & Weißler, Marco, 2025. "Who wants to work more? Revisiting the decline in average hours worked," Economic Bulletin Boxes, European Central Bank, vol. 3.
    • Handle: RePEc:ecb:ecbbox:2025:0003:3
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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Average hours worked; labour supply;

    JEL classification:

    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply

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