How Do Average Hours Worked Vary with Development? Cross-Country Evidence and Implications

56 Pages Posted: 17 Feb 2016

See all articles by Alexander Bick

Alexander Bick

Federal Reserve Banks - Research Division

Nicola Fuchs-Schündeln

Goethe University Frankfurt

David Lagakos

University of California, San Diego (UCSD) - Department of Economics; National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER)

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: February 2016

Abstract

How do average hours worked vary across the world income distribution? To answer this question, we build a new internationally comparable database of hours worked covering countries of all income levels. We document that average hours worked per adult are substantially higher in low-income countries than in high-income countries. This pattern holds for both men and women, for adults of all ages and education levels, and along both the extensive margin (employment rates) and intensive margin (hours per worker). Our results imply that labor productivity and welfare differences across countries are larger than suggested by differences in consumption per capita.

Keywords: hours worked, labor supply

JEL Classification: E01, E24, J21, J22

Suggested Citation

Bick, Alexander and Fuchs-Schündeln, Nicola and Lagakos, David, How Do Average Hours Worked Vary with Development? Cross-Country Evidence and Implications (February 2016). CEPR Discussion Paper No. DP11092, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2733026

Alexander Bick (Contact Author)

Federal Reserve Banks - Research Division ( email )

P.O. Box 442
St. Louis, MO 63166-0442
United States

Nicola Fuchs-Schündeln

Goethe University Frankfurt ( email )

Grueneburgplatz 1
Frankfurt am Main, 60323
Germany

David Lagakos

University of California, San Diego (UCSD) - Department of Economics ( email )

9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla, CA 92093-0508
United States

National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) ( email )

1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138
United States

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