What’s the ideal workweek? New research puts it at 37 hours
by Kelly Broderick · ABC15 ArizonaShare
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New research from economists at Duke University has estimated that the optimal workweek is about 37 hours, roughly five hours less than full-time workers there typically report working.
The study was based on research involving full-time workers in Germany, who predominately stated they wanted to work fewer hours.
They found that the “optimal” workweek is about 37 hours, just a few hours shy of the traditional 40.
This is less than the expected 40-hour workweek in the U.S., which was established in 1940 under the Fair Labor Standards Act.
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According to a Gallup report, the average full-time employee in the U.S. reported working roughly 43 hours a week in 2024. That is down slightly from 44.1 hours in 2019.
The findings come as lawmakers consider a proposal that would make 32 hours the standard workweek and require overtime beyond that point.
The latest version of the Thirty-Two Hour Workweek Act, which was introduced in Congress last month, is an attempt to address wealth inequality.
The debate raises questions about how a shorter workweek would impact paychecks and household finances. Under the proposed legislation, employers would generally be required to pay overtime if their workers went over 32 hours.