Working hours are changing: what employees really want to do and how their wishes have changed over the years

Working hours are changing: what employees really want to do and how their wishes have changed over the years

According to a report by www.merkur.de,

The world of work is changing, and this has a direct impact on people's working hours. A study by the Institute for Labor Market and Occupational Research (IAB) examined the working time between desire and reality and came to interesting results.

According to the research, the desired working hours of full- and part-time employees have remained “remarkably stable” over the decades. However, there are significant changes in full-time employment, with the desire for slightly shorter working hours increasing in recent years, particularly influenced by experiences during the Corona pandemic.

In 2021, it was found that women want to work an average of 6.2 hours less and prefer a maximum weekly working time of 34.7 hours, while men want to work 5.5 hours less and aim for a maximum weekly working time of 36.8 hours.

When it comes to part-time employment, the picture is somewhat more differentiated. On average, women want to work around 25.3 hours per week, which is around two hours more than 20 years ago. However, they usually work 0.8 hours more than desired. For men it is the other way around; in 2021 they wanted to work 28.1 hours, around an hour longer than they actually did.

The study also shows that there are differences in desired working hours and actual working hours depending on the age group. The study also suggests that employees are increasingly looking for more flexible working time models and meaningful work.

These findings have important implications for the labor market and the financial sector. With a growing need for flexible working hours and meaningful work, companies and financial institutions will need to adapt to the changing needs of the workforce. New working time models and offerings could become more important, while companies need to develop ways to retain and attract employees based on these findings. The change in working hours could also have an impact on labor productivity and the competitiveness of companies.