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Lazy or just plain crazy?

2nd August 2007, Page 53
2nd August 2007
Page 53
Page 53, 2nd August 2007 — Lazy or just plain crazy?
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European working hours are not just a matter for bar-room banter. Last year there was a presentation to the Bank of England's monetary policy committee on relative working hours. This confirmed that those in Anglo-Saxon countries work longer hours per person than people in the 'big three of France, Germany and Italy. The Scandinavian nations fall somewhere in between.

The average number of hours worked per worker per year is 1.692 in the UK, against 1,459 in France. The United States' average is 1,800. Clearly the amount of annual holiday plays its part in these figures.

The total employment rate of those between 15 and 64 is also higher in the UK (72,7%) than France (62.8%), although across Europe figures vary markedly. Denmark has 76% of its working-age population in work, while Italy has just 57,4%. France has the lowest average hours worked per week per person of working age (17.4 hours), while the equivalent UK figure is 23,3 hours and the US 25 hours.

All these figures are affected by the percentage of any population of working age that does not work at all, The European average of male non-workers aged between 25 and 54 is 7.6%, but the UK, US, Finland. Norway and Sweden all have figures above 9%. The Bank of England report says that "a good proportion" of the men in these categories are long-term sick or disabled.

Nearly all Western countries other than the US have legal minimums of four weeks or more paid annual leave_ National holidays add an extra two weeks or so in most countries, so while Europeans get a total of around six weeks-off each year, Americans get a month.

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Organisations: Bank of England

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