According to the most current statistics from the International Labor Organization, the number of hours worked per week is highest in Asia and the Pacific, especially in south Asia and east Asia, and lowest in North America, Europe, and Central Asia, especially in northern, southern, and western Europe.
According to studies published in the article “Working Time and Work-Life Balance Around the World,” developing countries such as India, China, and Brazil work much longer hours than other countries. However, beginning in the 1970s, Brazil began displaying a downward trend in the amount of time spent working, and this trend has continued to this day.
Report on South Asia and East Asia
https://www.oecd.org/cfe/leed/employment-esssa.htm
The industries with the longest average number of hours worked per week in 2019 were manufacturing, transportation, and communications, the wholesale and retail trades.
It was found that the average weekly hours worked were lowest in the agricultural, educational, and healthcare sectors. The study suggests that the average number of hours worked in the health services industry might have been much higher if the sector had been prepared for the huge demands imposed by the COVID-19 epidemic.
Operators of manufacturing plants and machines in south Asia, as well as assemblers, put in an average of 48.2 hours of work per week, making them the major occupational category with the highest weekly labor hours. Then came service and sales workers, who put in an average of 47.0 hours per week.
On the other hand, people who work in professional jobs and people who work in primary jobs, like skilled farm laborers, work an average of 40.2 hours per week.
The report shows that implementing policies similar to those used during the COVID-19 crisis—which included decreased working hours in south asia and more flexible working time arrangements—would be beneficial for economies, firms, and employees. These improvements may also enable a more beneficial and balanced approach to work and personal life.
