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Long Workweeks and Strange Hours

Author

Listed:
  • Daniel S Hamermesh

    (University of Texas at Austin [Austin])

  • Elena Stancanelli

    (PSE - Paris School of Economics - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - ENS-PSL - École normale supérieure - Paris - PSL - Université Paris Sciences et Lettres - EHESS - École des hautes études en sciences sociales - ENPC - École des Ponts ParisTech - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - INRAE - Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement, CES - Centre d'économie de la Sorbonne - UP1 - Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Abstract

U.S. workweeks are long compared to workweeks in other rich countries. Much less well-known is that Americans are more likely to work at night and on weekends. The authors examine the relationship between these two phenomena using the American Time Use Survey and time-diary data from France, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Only small portions of the U.S.–European differences are attributable to observable characteristics. Adjusting for demographic and occupational differences, Americans’ incidence of night and weekend work would drop by no more than 10% if the average European workweek prevailed. Even if no Americans worked long hours, the incidence of unusual work times in the United States would far exceed those in continental Europe.
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)
(This abstract was borrowed from another version of this item.)

Suggested Citation

  • Daniel S Hamermesh & Elena Stancanelli, 2015. "Long Workweeks and Strange Hours," PSE-Ecole d'économie de Paris (Postprint) hal-01299931, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:pseptp:hal-01299931
    DOI: 10.1177/0019793915592375
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Boeri, Tito & Burda, Michael & Kramarz, Francis (ed.), 2008. "Working Hours and Job Sharing in the EU and USA: Are Europeans Lazy? Or Americans Crazy?," OUP Catalogue, Oxford University Press, number 9780199231027.
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    7. Daniel S. Hamermesh & Harley Frazis & Jay Stewart, 2005. "Data Watch: The American Time Use Survey," Journal of Economic Perspectives, American Economic Association, vol. 19(1), pages 221-232, Winter.
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    Blog mentions

    As found by EconAcademics.org, the blog aggregator for Economics research:
    1. Long Workweeks and Strange Hours
      by maximorossi in NEP-LTV blog on 2014-12-10 19:22:52
    2. Long Workweeks and Strange Hours
      by maximorossi in NEP-LTV blog on 2014-12-19 16:57:32

    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Jorge González Chapela, 2018. "Physical Work Intensity and the Split Workday: Theory and Evidence from Spain," Journal of Labor Research, Springer, vol. 39(3), pages 329-353, September.
    2. José Ignacio Giménez-Nadal & José Alberto Molina & Jorge Velilla, 2023. "Should We Cheer Together? Gender Differences in Instantaneous Well-being: An Application to COVID-19 Lockdowns," Journal of Happiness Studies, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 529-562, February.
    3. Serena Yu & David Peetz, 2019. "Non‐Standard Time Wage Premiums and Employment Effects: Evidence from an Australian Natural Experiment," British Journal of Industrial Relations, London School of Economics, vol. 57(1), pages 33-61, March.
    4. Alexandre Mas & Amanda Pallais, 2017. "Valuing Alternative Work Arrangements," American Economic Review, American Economic Association, vol. 107(12), pages 3722-3759, December.
    5. Gimenez-Nadal, José Ignacio & Molina, José Alberto & Velilla, Jorge, 2020. "Should We Cheer Together? Gender Differences in Instantaneous Well-Being during Joint and Solo Activities," IZA Discussion Papers 13306, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    6. Olena Kostyshyna & Etienne Lalé, 2022. "On the evolution of multiple jobholding in Canada," Canadian Journal of Economics/Revue canadienne d'économique, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 55(2), pages 1095-1134, May.
    7. Tanguy Le Fur & Alain Trannoy, 2024. "The health-maximizing level of labor supply: a macroeconomic perspective on the American Health Puzzle," Journal of Population Economics, Springer;European Society for Population Economics, vol. 37(4), pages 1-32, December.
    8. Andrew E. Clark & Elena Stancanelli, 2016. "Individual Well-Being and the Allocation of Time Before and After the Boston Marathon Terrorist Bombing," PSE Working Papers hal-01302843, HAL.
    9. Alexandre Mas & Amanda Pallais, 2020. "Alternative Work Arrangements," Annual Review of Economics, Annual Reviews, vol. 12(1), pages 631-658, August.
    10. Hamermesh, Daniel S. & Pfann, Gerard A., 2022. "The variability and volatility of sleep: An ARCHetypal behavior," Economics & Human Biology, Elsevier, vol. 47(C).
    11. Thibaud Deguilhem & Jean-Philippe Berrou & François Combarnous, 2019. "Using your ties to get a worse job? The differential effects of social networks on quality of employment in Colombia," Review of Social Economy, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 77(4), pages 493-522, October.
    12. Ignacio Gimenez-Nadal, J. & Molina, Jose Alberto & Velilla, Jorge, 2018. "The commuting behavior of workers in the United States: Differences between the employed and the self-employed," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 66(C), pages 19-29.
    13. Giménez-Nadal, José Ignacio & Molina, José Alberto & Velilla, Jorge, 2020. "Should we cheer together? Gender differences in instantaneous well-being during joint and solo activities: An application to COVID-19 lockdowns," GLO Discussion Paper Series 736, Global Labor Organization (GLO).
    14. Tanguy Le Fur & Alain Trannoy, 2024. "The Health-Maximizing Level of Labor Supply: A Macroeconomic Perspective on the American Health Puzzle," AMSE Working Papers 2419, Aix-Marseille School of Economics, France.
    15. Andrew E. Clark & Orla Doyle & Elena Stancanelli, 2017. "The Impact of Terrorism on Well-being: Evidence from the Boston Marathon Bombing," Working Papers 201717, School of Economics, University College Dublin.
    16. Ines Lee & Eileen Tipoe, 2021. "Changes in the quantity and quality of time use during the COVID-19 lockdowns in the UK: Who is the most affected?," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(11), pages 1-17, November.
    17. Hafenbrack, Andrew C. & Cameron, Lindsey D. & Spreitzer, Gretchen M. & Zhang, Chen & Noval, Laura J. & Shaffakat, Samah, 2020. "Helping People by Being in the Present: Mindfulness Increases Prosocial Behavior," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 21-38.
    18. Sam Cosaert & Alexandros Theloudis & Bertrand Verheyden, 2023. "Togetherness in the Household," American Economic Journal: Microeconomics, American Economic Association, vol. 15(1), pages 529-579, February.
    19. Sam Desiere & Christian Walker, 2023. "The Shift Premium: Evidence From A Discrete Choice Experiment," Working Papers of Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Ghent University, Belgium 23/1074, Ghent University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration.
    20. Shapira, Chen & Vilnai-Yavetz, Iris & Rafaeli, Anat & Zemel, Moran, 2016. "Time clock requirements for hospital physicians," Health Policy, Elsevier, vol. 120(6), pages 690-697.
    21. Yuliang Yao & Martin Dresner & Kevin Xiaoguo Zhu, 2019. "“Monday Effect” on Performance Variations in Supply Chain Fulfillment: How Information Technology–Enabled Procurement May Help," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 30(4), pages 1402-1423, December.
    22. Dirk-Hinnerk Fischer & Hovhannes Yeritsyan, 2018. "A Common Misunderstanding about Capitalism and Communism Through the Eyes of Innovation," Economic Thought, World Economics Association, vol. 7(2), pages 1-14, November.
    23. Juan Carlos Campaña & Jose Ignacio Gimenez-Nadal & Jorge Velilla, 2023. "Measuring Gender Gaps in Time Allocation in Europe," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 165(2), pages 519-553, January.
    24. MORIKAWA Masayuki, 2018. "Uncertainty over Working Schedules and Compensating Wage Differentials: From the viewpoint of labor management," Discussion papers 18015, Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry (RIETI).
    25. Deguilhem, Thibaud & Berrou, Jean-Philippe & Combarnous, François, 2017. "Using your ties to get a worse job? The differential effects of social networks on quality of employment: Evidence from Colombia," MPRA Paper 78628, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    hours; labour; time use;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • J22 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demand and Supply of Labor - - - Time Allocation and Labor Supply
    • J08 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - Labor Economics Policies

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