If workers in developing Asian economies work more hours than Americans, why are they not the world’s most productive?
Americans work longer hours than workers in other rich nations. Americans also produce more per person over the year but only part of the U.S. productivity growth can be explained by the longer hours Americans work. Americans also create more wealth per hour of work. U.S. employees worked an average of 1,804 hours in 2006, compared to 1,564.4 for the French, but far less than the 2,200 hours that Asians work. But in the Asian countries the average productivity is lower.