Singaporeans work some of the longest hours in the world’s most developed countries, a study done by the Groningen Growth and Development Centre has shown.
According to statistics published on the Federal Reserve Economic Data (FRED) website, Singaporeans worked an average of 2,287 hours in 2011.
Globally, the average number of hours people worked ranged from 1,380 to 2,800 hours a year, with richer countries working relatively fewer hours.
Workers in East Asian countries seemed to experience similar working conditions as those in Singapore, with Taiwan, South Korea and Hong Kong workers clocking in an average of 2,144, 2,193 and 2,344 hours a year respectively.
Around the region, Australians and Japanese workers clocked in much lower averages at 1,699 and 1,706 hours respectively.
In the US, workers also worked fewer hours at an average of 1,703 hours a year, but it was the Europeans who worked the least number of hours.
Workers in the UK worked 1,650 hours while those in France clocked in 1,476 hours a year.
Surprisingly, workers in Germany worked even less than the French, who are famous for their short working weeks and job perks, clocking an average of 1,406 hours in a year.
source: business.asiaone.com
