In order to be considered a full-time employee, Americans are expected to work at least 40 hours a week — but in some states, the average
Job search engine Lensa ranked states according to which ones had the biggest drop in the average number of work hours per week since 2020. For some states, like Alaska and New Hampshire, drops in weekly work hours also meant a drop in weekly earnings. On the other hand, states like Nebraska and Delaware saw an increase in earnings despite their work hours decreasing in the last few years. While the U.S. is unlikely to embrace a nationwide reduction in work hours, the data points to shifts in work structure and
"The U.S. has remained fairly steady over the years, with only a 0.05% decrease in annual hours worked since the mid-90s," says Brad Goodwin, content lead at Lensa. "A key difference between the work culture in the U.S., compared to European nations such as the U.K., Germany and Denmark, is that the U.S. has remained fixed on its 40 hours statutory work limit, whereas these countries have no limit in place."
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Despite these work limits, some states are mirroring other countries such as Luxemburg, Japan and Israel, who have all witnessed recent nationwide drops in work hours. For example, while Japan is known for its intense work culture, it has seen work hours decrease by 0.57% since 1995, landing at an average of 33 hours per week. Goodwin notes that the U.S. is behind the curve, but some states will follow this trend.
Here are 10 states with the biggest drops in weekly work hours, according to
