Most Overworked Countries 2024

The number of hours that full-time employees work in a week or year varies greatly by country. In some countries, the average full-time workweek is under 40 hours, while in others it can be above 50 hours.

This is because workplace laws and conventions vary among countries. Some countries place a large emphasis on work-life balance and have laws and conventions that are more favorable towards workers. This often translates to shorter workweeks, more vacation time, and policies to help employees who are parents. Employees in these countries tend to have higher life satisfaction and less stress. On the other hand, some countries have much longer workweeks, resulting in lower life satisfaction and a workforce that can feel burned out.

Overworked employees are more likely to make mistakes on the job, have a lower quality of work, or be less productive due to exhaustion. While companies and managers often want their best employees to take on more work, overworking them can backfire when it comes to their performance. Additionally, some employees may be overworked because they take on extra hours to make ends meet.

Most Overworked Countries in the World

The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) collected data on the average annual hours worked for its member states. Average annual hours are calculated by the total number of hours actually worked per year divided by the average number of people in employment per year. Actual hours worked include regular work hours of full-time, part-time, and part-year workers, paid and unpaid overtime, and hours worked in additional jobs and excludes any time not worked because of holidays, sick or parental leave, schooling or training, and other factors.

Here are the ten most overworked countries in the world based on the average annual number of hours worked (OECD, 2023).

1. Mexico

The average annual hours worked in Mexico is 2,207 hours, making it the most overworked country. The average workweek for full-time employees in Mexico is about 42.7 hours. About 28.7% of Mexican employees work over 50 hours per week. The average annual wages are only $16,298.

2. Costa Rica

Costa Rica’s average annual hours worked is 2,171 hours per year. Costa Rica’s average full-time workweek is slightly shorter than Mexico’s at 41.3 hours.

3. Chile

Chile ranks third among the most overworked countries. In a year, Chilean workers put in an average of 1,953 hours. The average full-time workweek is 37.5 hours with 9.7% of employees working over 50 hours per week.

4. Greece

Greece works an average of 1,897 hours per year. The average full-time workweek is about 37.8 hours, and 6.4% of employees work over 50 hours per week.

5. Israel

Israel’s average annual hours worked are 1,880 hours per year. The average workweek in Israel for full-time employees is 35.6 hours. About 15.5% of employees work over 50 hours per week.

6. South Korea

South Korea is the sixth-most overworked country in the world. South Koreans work about 1,872 hours per year, and their average workweek is about 37.9 hours. In 2018, the South Korean government legislated to reduce the maximum working hours per week from 68 to 40 with 12 hours of paid overtime.

7. Canada

Canadians are seventh most hard-working, clocking in 1,865 hours annually, on the average. An average workweek in Canada is 32.3 hours.

8. Croatia

Croatia’s workforce puts in an average of 1,837 hours per year. The average workweek is about 34.4 hours.

9. Malta

Maltese employees work about 1,835 hours per year on average, just behind Croatia. The average workweek for full-time employees in Malta is 33.8 hours.

10. Romania

Finishing the top ten most overworked countries is Romania, whose employees work an average of 1,826 hours per year. Romanians work about 38.9 hours per week on average.