Longest Working Hours in the World: Which Countries Top the List?

In the current world economy, the work of people has changed due to technological innovation and digital connectivity. However, automation and flexible working schedules notwithstanding, long working hours are registered in many countries and are still some of the longest in the world. Going by the data of the number of work hours according to global work hours as initiated by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and other labour databases, working hours are unevenly distributed based on the economic conditions, cultural expectations and labour market tendencies.

Although the statistics of work-life balance and the well-being of employees have attracted attention to this topic, there are still millions of workers having the longest working hours per week. The culture of average working hours tends to be highest in countries that have high economic competition, a lack of employment opportunities, or a high productivity culture.

Why Some Countries Have Longer Working Hours

The causes of the appearance of some countries as the most overworked ones depend on several factors.

Economic Pressure and Labour Policies

In third-world economies, employees tend to work longer hours in order to maintain their level of income. Extended work weeks can also be caused by weak labour laws or informal sectors of employment.

Cultural Attitudes Toward Work

The country’s work culture is a significant factor. Some societies perceive long hours as hard work and devotion, particularly in competitive fields.

Demands and Informal Employment in the Industry

Industries like construction, service and agriculture often demand long shifts. Labour markets, which are informal, also make the average working hours longer by nation.

Productivity vs Time Spent Working

Interestingly, in terms of data on the global productivity vs working hours, it occurs that long workweeks are not necessarily good in terms of performance. Other countries with fewer schedules are more productive per hour.

Top 7 Countries With the Longest Working Hours

Among the highest weekly working hours in these countries, based on ILO statistics on wages and working hours.

Bhutan – 54.4 Hours per Week

Bhutan boasts of some of the highest working hours in the world, and its employees are spending over 54 hours per week. Approximately 61 per cent of the workers have a workload of 49 or above because of financial reasons and employment requirements.

United Arab Emirates – 50.9 Hours

The UAE is just behind them because competitive labour markets and productivity-based work culture are causing long hours. Almost 39 per cent of the workers take more than 49 hours per week.

Lesotho – 50.4 Hours

The average number of hours per week by workers in Lesotho is over 50. The economic issues and employment arrangements tend to have more lengthy shifts.

Congo – 48.6 Hours

In Congo, 45 per cent of people in the workforce have jobs that require them to work long hours, which depicts little employment and economic demands.

Qatar – 48 Hours

Rapid economic growth and severe dependence on the expatriate workforce are indicators of the increase in the length of working days in Qatar.

Liberia – 47.7 Hours

The long working hours in Liberia are common because employees are forced to work longer hours due to financial pressures and livelihoods.

Mauritania – 47.6 Hours

Mauritania is the other country that places high in the international working time comparison, with almost half of the workers having above 49 hours per week of working time.

The Productivity Paradox: Do Longer Hours Mean Higher Output?

The studies on the labour market tendencies and productivity in relation to the working hours show that the shorter the workweek, the higher the productivity in various countries can be. Countries like Germany, Denmark and the Netherlands are showing that effective systems and technology can enhance output, and this does not involve more working hours.

Nonetheless, workweeks can be long and cause burnout, low productivity, and illness. Consequently, there is a push amongst various governments and companies to consider various policies such as flex-time and a four-day working week.

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