Annual working hours per worker in United States
United States: Annual working hours per worker was 1,789 hours per worker in 2023. ▼ Falling
Annual working hours per worker in United States, 1870–2023
Source: Feenstra et al. - Penn World Table (2025); Huberman and Minns (2005) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in hours per worker.
Analysis
The most recent figure for annual working hours per worker in United States is 1,789 hours per worker, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, annual working hours per worker in United States peaked at 3,096 hours per worker in 1870 and was at its lowest, 1,756 hours per worker, in 1938.
That places United States 86th out of 130 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 81 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 3,096 hours per worker | 3,096 hours per worker | 3,096 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1880s | 3,044 hours per worker | 3,044 hours per worker | 3,044 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1890s | 2,983 hours per worker | 2,983 hours per worker | 2,983 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1900s | 2,938 hours per worker | 2,938 hours per worker | 2,938 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1910s | 2,900 hours per worker | 2,900 hours per worker | 2,900 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1920s | 2,316 hours per worker | 2,316 hours per worker | 2,316 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1930s | 1,756 hours per worker | 1,756 hours per worker | 1,756 hours per worker | 1 |
| 1950s | 2,024 hours per worker | 1,961 hours per worker | 2,064 hours per worker | 10 |
| 1960s | 1,975 hours per worker | 1,954 hours per worker | 2,001 hours per worker | 10 |
| 1970s | 1,880 hours per worker | 1,847 hours per worker | 1,931 hours per worker | 10 |
| 1980s | 1,832 hours per worker | 1,810 hours per worker | 1,852 hours per worker | 10 |
| 1990s | 1,853 hours per worker | 1,816 hours per worker | 1,886 hours per worker | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,833 hours per worker | 1,765 hours per worker | 1,888 hours per worker | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,794 hours per worker | 1,773 hours per worker | 1,809 hours per worker | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,786 hours per worker | 1,778 hours per worker | 1,790 hours per worker | 4 |
Countries ranked near United States
More work & labour data for United States
- Legislation on sexual harassment in employment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Criminal sanctions or compensation for workplace sexual harassment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Women can take the same jobs as men 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 61.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 67.1% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 84.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 56.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15-6 73.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 78.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 69.0% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is annual working hours per worker in United States?
- Annual working hours per worker in United States was 1,789 hours per worker in 2023, according to Feenstra et al. - Penn World Table (2025); Huberman and Minns (2005) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest annual working hours per worker recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 3,096 hours per worker in 1870.
- What is the lowest annual working hours per worker recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,756 hours per worker in 1938.
- How does United States rank for annual working hours per worker?
- United States ranks 86th out of 130 countries with data for 2023.
- Is annual working hours per worker rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from Feenstra et al. - Penn World Table (2025); Huberman and Minns (2005) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Annual working hours per worker. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Average working hours per worker in a given year.