Sufficient distribution of working hours is an indispensable aspect of fair work. It is a key component of working conditions, exerting a profound influence on wages, well-being and living standards of workers.
Some of the most prominent challenges related to working time have persisted since the beginning of the industrial era: the prevalence of excessive working hours and the imperative to protect the health and safety of workers through limits on working hours and provisions for adequate periods of respite and rejuvenation, which include weekly rest and paid annual leave, as prescribed by global labor regulations.
Conversely, achieving a respectable monthly income requires workers to have access to a minimum acceptable number of working hours, thereby preventing involuntary part-time employment and work-related underemployment.
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List of 10 countries with the most working hours
ILOSTAT offers a comprehensive set of data, obtained from national authorities, covering a range of indicators related to working hours. This data warehouse provides information on two primary statistics: the percentage of employees who work more than 48 hours per week, which is classified as overtime, and the average weekly number of hours each employed individual devotes to work.
These are the 10 countries with the longest average working hours, according to data obtained by the International Labor Organization:
Earth | Average number of hours per week per employed person |
United Arab Emirates | 52.6 |
Gambia | 50.8 |
Butane | 50.7 |
Lesotho | 49.8 |
Congo | 48.6 |
Catarrh | 48 |
India | 47.7 |
Mauritania | 47.5 |
Liberia | 47.2 |
Bangladesh | 46.9 |
It is necessary to note that the distribution of these hours does not necessarily have to be uniform. In Bangladesh, a staggering 50% of employees work over 50 hours a week, a threshold labeled by the ILO as ‘excessive work restriction’. In contrast, only 28% of Liberia’s labor force exceeds this excessive limit.
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Why do people in the United Arab Emirates work so many hours?
Statistics for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are significantly skewed due to the significant influx of migrant workers into the country. Of its 9.1 million inhabitants, only about 12% are UAE nationals, while 8 million are foreigners. These non-citizens are disproportionately predisposed to working long hours due to exploitation, inadequate labor rights and their desire to remit substantial funds to their home countries.
This phenomenon is evidenced by the criteria of the ‘excessive work limit’, as defined by the ILO, which identifies individuals who work more than 49 hours per week. In the UAE, a substantial 46% of the workforce falls into this category, as opposed to 14% in the United States and single-digit percentages in Europe.
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Where does India rank on the list?
India ranks 7th in the rankings, with its workforce working an average of 47.7 hours each week. According to 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 compared to other Asian nations such as China (46.1), Singapore (42.6) and Japan (36.6).
The Wage and Working Time Statistics Repository (COND) includes metrics related to hourly and monthly wages, statutory minimum wages, low income cases, gender pay gaps and actual weekly hours worked by employees. These metrics are key in delineating working conditions, which form the basis of wage employment and labor relations.
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Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education