Last April, a law was enacted that will gradually reduce the workweek in Chile to 40 hours per week within five years. In this context, which OECD country has the longest workweek?

ANSWER

Mexico. As can be seen in this chart from Visual Capitalist, based on OECD data for 2022, Mexico is the OECD country with the longest workweek, at 2,128 hours per year. Germany, on the other hand, has the shortest workweek, at 1,349 hours per year. How is it that one of the world’s most advanced economies has such a short workweek compared to Mexico and other Latin American countries? Productivity is the key. In Chile, meanwhile, people work 1,916 hours per year, according to the chart.