labor lawAdivision of labor law center

Despite a recent survey that shows Americans waste work time in a variety of activities, they are among the most productive workers in the world.

A recent MSN-Zogby survey shows that up to 50% of workers admit looking for a new job online while at work. Among men, 10% access pornography on work time, while just 1% of women admitted to it. More than half of all workers say they waste time gossiping at work. Other popular time-wasters are paying personal bills, taking personal phone calls and surfing the Internet.

Yet, a recent United Nations study finds that working Americans are the most productive employees on the planet.

The average worker in the U.S. produces $63,885 of products per year, according to the International Labor Organization, or ILO. That’s 14% more than workers in any other country. Workers in Ireland are second, producing $55,986 per year while workers in Luxembourg produce goods worth $55,641. Belgium is in fourth place at $55,235 per worker. Surprisingly, France is in fifth place – ahead of England – with the average French worker producing goods worth $54,609 per year. That’s almost $9,300 per year less than the average U.S. Worker.

U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine Chao recently cited American workers as the envy of the world.

How is it possible that people who waste time on so many activities are also highly productive? Although these two reports initially seem to contradict one another, there are three keys to understating the data. First, while Americans appear to waste time on a lot of activities, the MSN-Zogby study doesn’t attempt to quantify how much time is wasted. An employee who wasted 5 minutes per month on the Internet would count the same as someone who wasted 5 hours per day, under the study methodology. The study also concerned only office workers. It is possible that workers in other environments such as construction or factory workers are more productive than the typical office worker.

Second, it is possible that although Americans waste a lot of time, they waste less time than their counterparts in other countries.

Third, some of the difference is compensated for because Americans tend to work longer hours, and take less time off than workers in other countries. The average American worked 1,804 hours per year in 2006. That’s about 36 hours per week for 50 weeks, with 2 weeks of vacation.

French workers averaged 1,564 hours per year. That’s an average of 34 hours per week for 46 weeks per year, with 6 weeks of vacation. That’s remarkable, considering that in France, it’s currently illegal for an employee to work more than 35 hours per week.

Workers in Norway averaged 1,407 hours per year. For Norwegian workers, that’s the equivalent of working 30 hours per week for 46 weeks per year, with 6 weeks of vacation.

Workers in seven Asian nations put in more hours than in the U.S. In South Korea, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, China, Malaysia, Thailand and Hong Kong, the average worker puts in more than 2,200 hours per year, the equivalent of working 46 hours per week with no vacation. Productivity in those countries is low, due primarily to a lack of technology.

Longer hours put in on the job doesn’t account for all of the difference between the U.S. and other developed nations. Even on a per-hour basis, the U.S. outperforms all nations in the European Union, Japan and Switzerland. Only workers in Norway (a non-European Union country) accomplished more per hour than in the U.S. Norwegian workers produced goods worth $37.99 for each hour worked, according to the U.N.’s International Labor Organization report. This is far above the American worker’s average production of $35.63.

The U.S. figure is about 50 cents more than that in France, the most productive of European Union nations, in third place. From 1994 to 2003, France led the world in hourly productivity.

Jose Manuel Salazar, the ILO’s head of employment, cites a number of factors that cause increased productivity in the U.S. including, “the information and communication technologies revolution, the way U.S, companies are organized and the high level of competition in the country” among both companies and workers. He also notes that the extensive trade and investment abroad makes U.S. companies more productive.  

Last 10 posts by Amelia

• New Law Expands FMLA and NDAA for Military Families - October 30th, 2009
• California Approves Exempt Salary Reduction - October 16th, 2009
• 3 New Illinois Laws - October 9th, 2009
• New Definition of Disability - September 25th, 2009
• E-Verify Regulations - September 18th, 2009
• New USERRA Regulations - September 2nd, 2009
• E-Verify News - August 26th, 2009
• New Tennessee Workers’ Compensation Law - August 19th, 2009
• Louisiana Minimum Wage - August 3rd, 2009
• Arkansas Minimum Wage - July 31st, 2009