Is this normalized for full time employment or just an average of everyone employed? The latter is far less interesting, as it may just indicate an inability to find a full time job.
Also interesting is the trend break in the US around the time Reagan took to the stage. Before that time, Americans' working hours gradually went down like those of the quoted Europeans. After that time, they more or less kept the same hours for years on end while their European colleagues kept on their downward trend.
Compare this graph to the one which shows that average income for the lower 90 percentile stagnated around that time, while income for the top 10 - and especially for the top of the top - exploded.
While correlation does not imply causation, I think it is likely that both these trends are related. Wage earners have to work longer hours due to stagnating wages and rising costs, while top earners rake in the extra profits generated by those longer working hours. According to economic theory this money is supposed to trickle down but that does not happen - the rich get richer.
The increase in productivity and competition works against the workers in the long run. At one point our society will become so productive that less than 25% of the population will work in the effective economy and the state will put the other 75% to bark in the parks for the minimum wage just to "keep the economy going", because jobs..
The EU has the working time directive which limits the number of hours to an average of 48 per week over 6 week intervals. The US "exempt" employee has no restriction on working time, and neither do hourly employees have any restriction on the amount of overtime they are required to put in during a workweek.
> 2. What happened in Germany in ~1975 that made them suddenly start working?
I think it may have been the oil crisis in 1973. During the crisis, industry did not have enough work for its workforce. Instead of mass-layoffs, they tried to shorten working hours and cut wages accordingly. I think in 1975 the situation had normalized again, so that working hours increased again.
So, rather than an increase in 1975, it's probably a decrease just before.
I wonder how much this has to do with the logistics of getting to work every day? In Germany its so much easier to get around than pretty much anywhere in the US ..
A common problem is the notion that salaried workers owe their employers unlimited work for no extra pay. My first career manager came right out and said so. This led to my regularly working 20 hours per day, one "day" I worked 29 hours.
I didn't even get a bonus. I was doing pretty good if he even said thank you.
I'm not real sure yet but I've been puzzling over looking for work in Europe. I know I'd like to live there again someday I'm just not sure that now is the right time for me. (I've lived in France and Italy.)
