Are Shorter Work Hours Good for the Environment? A Comparison of U.S. and European Energy Consumption

Contributing Organization(s): Center for Economic and Policy Research

Author(s)/Creator(s): David Rosnick; Mark Weisbrot

Publishing Date: 2006-12-01

Issue Areas: Employment and Labor; Energy and Environment

Ownership/Rights Info: Please consult the copyright holder before using or repurposing this information.

European employees work fewer hours per year -- and use less energy per person -- than their American counterparts. This report compares the European and U.S. models of labor productivity and energy consumption. It finds that if all countries worked as many hours per week as U.S. workers do, the world would consume 15 to 30 percent more energy by 2050 than it would by following Europe's model.

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Energy Efficiency Versus Work Productivity
Posted by: robgregory on Wed, 14 May 08 03:06:57 +0000

The aim of the research article is to show the correlation, however complex, between working less and consuming less energy. Overall, its a fascinating piece. The data is helpful and research is important, but after reading through I'm left with more questions than answers. For one, I'm not convinced I could properly explain why less work would result in less energy consumption, even though it seems a natural connection. Still, it is a short and necessary article that warrants our attention in a day and age where we are quick to liberalize, in the economic sense, all aspects of our lives, and in this case, the way we work.

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