Average weekly working hours typically see a decline during recessions, as employers seek to cut payroll costs during these periods by reducing hours.

However, in recent years, weekly hours have seen a consistent decline despite the U.S. being outside of a recession.

This graphic visualizes the average weekly hours worked by all private employees in the U.S.

The data comes from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) via the Federal Reserve and is updated as of Feb. 7, 2025.

Average weekly hours represent the total hours worked by employees for which pay was received, accounting for factors like unpaid absenteeism, turnover, and part-time work, and may differ from scheduled hours.

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