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Working Hours and Workers' Health: Evidence from a National Experiment in Sweden

Author

Listed:
  • Prodromidis, Nikolaos

    (University of Duisburg-Essen)

  • Karlsson, Martin

    (University of Duisburg-Essen)

  • Kühnle, Daniel

    (University of Duisburg-Essen)

Abstract

Despite the importance of regulating working hours for workers' health and maintaining labour productivity, the literature lacks credible causal estimates on the impact of reduced working hours. We provide new evidence for the causal effect of shorter workweeks on mortality using full population register data, exploiting a nationwide policy in Sweden that reduced the weekly working hours from 55 to 48 hours for certain occupations only in 1920. Using difference-in-differences and event-study models, we show that lower working hours decreased mortality by around 15% over the first six years. We identify several mechanisms behind this effect: the policy led to fewer workplace accidents, a decline in work-related disability, and a reduction in sick days taken by employees. Causal forest estimators indicate particularly strong effects for older workers. Our results imply that many lives could be saved worldwide by reducing long working hours for labour-intensive occupations.

Suggested Citation

  • Prodromidis, Nikolaos & Karlsson, Martin & Kühnle, Daniel, 2025. "Working Hours and Workers' Health: Evidence from a National Experiment in Sweden," IZA Discussion Papers 17707, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    • Handle: RePEc:iza:izadps:dp17707
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cygan-Rehm, Kamila & Wunder, Christoph, 2018. "Do working hours affect health? Evidence from statutory workweek regulations in Germany," Labour Economics, Elsevier, vol. 53(C), pages 162-171.
    2. Kamila Cygam-Rehm & Christoph Wunder, 2018. "Do Working Hours Affect Health? Evidence from Statutory Workweek Regulations in Germany," SOEPpapers on Multidisciplinary Panel Data Research 967, DIW Berlin, The German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP).
    3. D. Mark Anderson & Kerwin Kofi Charles & Daniel I. Rees, 2022. "Reexamining the Contribution of Public Health Efforts to the Decline in Urban Mortality," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 14(2), pages 126-157, April.
    4. Marcella Alsan & Claudia Goldin, 2019. "Watersheds in Child Mortality: The Role of Effective Water and Sewerage Infrastructure, 1880–1920," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 127(2), pages 586-638.
    5. D. Mark Anderson & Kerwin Kofi Charles & Daniel I. Rees, 2022. "Reexamining the Contribution of Public Health Efforts to the Decline in Urban Mortality: Reply," American Economic Journal: Applied Economics, American Economic Association, vol. 14(2), pages 166-169, April.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    working hours; employment legislation; mortality; Sweden;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • I18 - Health, Education, and Welfare - - Health - - - Government Policy; Regulation; Public Health
    • J10 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Demographic Economics - - - General
    • J81 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor Standards - - - Working Conditions
    • N14 - Economic History - - Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics; Industrial Structure; Growth; Fluctuations - - - Europe: 1913-

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