Wondering what the top ten hardest working countries in the world are? Various factors play into the general work ethic of country. Included on that list are its traditions and customs, the development of its economy, its social structure, how it is affected by global politics or sanctions, and its population.
The amount of hours worked per person defines moreover how they live. In some countries, it might be a reflection of the change in the job industry, and the advancement in technology, which has turned traditional 9-to-5 jobs into nearly 24-hour responsibilities, with social media monitoring and increased connectivity limiting the shut-down time away from work that people once enjoyed. Yet in some countries, the amount of hours worked by a person doesn’t reflect precisely the job position or responsibilities involved, nor is it a sign of a high salaried position.
In some countries, long working days, with no weekends or vacations, reflects a country’s struggling economy. These sorts of jobs, which exploit workers, have serious effects on stress and overall life quality. When evaluating the quality of life in a certain place, the Human Development Index takes into account elements such as education, income and life expectancy. Therefore, long working hours and stressful routines decrease the quality of life. Taking a look at our list on the Top 20 Countries With The Best Quality of Life, we can see which countries made it into that list, and it makes for an interesting comparison with the present list of the hardest working countries in the world.
The latest data released by the OECD revealed that European countries and America are, contrary to what you might think, not the hardest working places in the world. A country’s working dynamic and tradition shows a national work-ethic, in which their economic growth is based. Yet, long working hours do not necessarily equate with economic success: it usually indicates a poor work-life balance, and low quality of job. Indeed, the very essence of a high quality of life through economic development is that the society should not have to work as hard in general, and should have more freedom to spend time how its people wish.
Considering this report, we have compiled a list with the ten hardest working countries in the world. Do you think your country is on the list? Check it out to see.
No. 10 Slovenia
Total minutes worked per day: 495
Total unpaid minutes worked per day: 231
Total paid minutes worked per day: 265
No. 9 USA
Total minutes worked per day: 496
Total unpaid minutes worked per day: 207
Total paid minutes worked per day: 289
No. 8 New Zealand
Total minutes worked per day: 498
Total unpaid minutes worked per day: 227
Total paid minutes worked per day: 271
No. 7 China
Total minutes worked per day: 504
Total unpaid minutes worked per day: 164
Total paid minutes worked per day: 340
No. 6 Austria
Total minutes worked per day: 509
Total unpaid minutes worked per day: 203
Total paid minutes worked per day: 306
No. 5 Estonia
Total minutes worked per day: 516
Total unpaid minutes worked per day: 232
Total paid minutes worked per day: 284
No. 4 Canada
Total minutes worked per day: 517
Total unpaid minutes worked per day: 197
Total paid minutes worked per day: 320
No. 3 Portugal
Total minutes worked per day: 528
Total unpaid minutes worked per day: 233
Total paid minutes worked per day: 295
No. 2 Japan
Total minutes worked per day: 540
Total unpaid minutes worked per day: 164
Total paid minutes worked per day: 376
No. 1 Mexico
Total minutes worked per day: 594
Total unpaid minutes worked per day: 253
Total paid minutes worked per day: 342
