Attaining a respectable monthly income necessitates that workers have access to a minimally acceptable number of work hours, thereby averting involuntary part-time employment and work-related underemployment.
Sufficient allocation of work hours is an indispensable aspect of equitable labour. It stands as a pivotal constituent of work conditions, exerting a profound influence on the earnings, well-being, and living standards of labourers.
Some of the most prominent challenges related to working hours have persisted since the onset of the industrial era: the prevalence of excessive work hours and the imperative to safeguard the health and safety of workers through limitations on working hours and provisions for adequate periods of reprieve and rejuvenation, encompassing weekly repose and remunerated annual leave, as prescribed in global labour regulations.
Conversely, attaining a respectable monthly income necessitates that workers have access to a minimally acceptable number of work hours, thereby averting involuntary part-time employment and work-related underemployment.
List of 10 Countries With the Most Working Hours
ILOSTAT offers a comprehensive array of data, sourced from national authorities, encompassing an array of work-hour-related indicators. This data repository provides information on two primary statistics: the percentage of employees engaging in labour for over 48 hours per week, which is classified as excessive working time, and the average weekly hours dedicated to work by each employed individual.
Here are the 10 countries with the lengthiest average work hours, sourced from data procured by the International Labor Organization:
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Country – Average hours per week per employed person
United Arab Emirates – 52.6
Gambia – 50.8
Bhutan – 50.7
Lesotho – 49.8
Congo – 48.6
Qatar – 48
India – 47.7
Mauritania – 47.5
Liberia – 47.2
Bangladesh – 46.9
It is imperative to observe that the allocation of these hours may not necessarily be uniform. In Bangladesh, a staggering 50% of employees toil for over 50 hours weekly, a threshold designated as the ‘excessive working limit’ by the ILO. In contrast, only 28% of the workforce in Liberia exceeds this excessive limit.
Why do people in the United Arab Emirates work so many hours?
The statistics for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are skewed significantly by the considerable influx of migrant labourers into the country. Of its 9.1 million inhabitants, only approximately 12% are believed to be UAE nationals, while 8 million are foreigners. These non-nationals are disproportionately predisposed to working extended hours due to exploitation, the inadequacy of labour rights, and their desire to remit substantial funds to their homelands.
This phenomenon is evidenced by the ‘excessive working limit’ criteria, as defined by the ILO, which identifies individuals working more than 49 hours per week. In the UAE, a substantial 46% of the workforce falls within this category, contrasting with 14% in the United States and a single-digit percentage in Europe.
Where Does India Rank In The List?
India secures the 7th position in the ranking, with its workforce labouring for an average of 47.7 hours each week. As per the International Labor Organization, Indians currently work an average of 47.7 hours per week, surpassing the United States (36.4), the United Kingdom (35.9), and Germany (34.4). The data also reveals that Indians work longer hours in comparison to other Asian nations such as China (46.1), Singapore (42.6), and Japan (36.6).
The Wages and Working Time Statistics (COND) repository encompasses metrics concerning hourly and monthly wages, statutory minimum wage rates, instances of low income, gender-based wage disparities, and actual weekly work hours of employees. These metrics are pivotal in delineating the conditions of labour, which form the bedrock of salaried employment and labour relationships.
