Did you hear?…American execs work longer hours than foreign counterparts

“Hey, don’t work too hard!”

Has there ever been a more ignored phrase in American culture?

Americans work a lot, probably too much, especially compared to the rest of the world. With Labor Day upon us, SNEWS® thought these results from a recent survey would enlighten: 61 percent of business leaders in the United States work 10 hours or more per day, while only 52 percent of business leaders in other countries put in this long of a day, according to a summer report from NFI Research (www.nfiresearch.com).

NFI produces data by surveying about 2,000 executives and managers in 1,400 companies in 50 countries. Its latest report shows that 35 percent of business leaders outside the United States work eight hours or less on a typical day, while just 14 percent of those in the United States call it a day after eight hours.

Compared to the same survey conducted in 2006, senior executives and managers have increased their work time per day slightly over the past three years. However, they have slightly decreased their work time per week over the past three years.

More survey results:

>> On a typical workday, the number of hours I work (office, home, etc.) is about:

6 hours or fewer…2.9 percent

7 hours…………..2.9 percent

8 hours………….12.2 percent

9 hours…………..22.3 percent

10 hours…………40.3 percent

11 hours…………11.5 percent

12 hours…………5.8 percent

13 hours or more…2.2 percent

>> In a typical workweek, the number of hours I work (office, home, etc.) is about:

30 hours or fewer…2.9 percent

31-40 hours………7.2 percent

41-50 hours………38.1 percent

51-60 hours………38.8 percent

61-70 hours ……..10.8 percent

71 hours or more…2.2 percent

Since today is a national holiday in the United States, we hope if you are in the United States you are, of course, not laboring on Labor Day, but enjoying instead the fruits of said labors.

–Marcus Woolf