Abstract
This paper builds a new internationally comparable database of hours worked to measure how hours vary with income across and within countries. We document that average hours worked per adult are substantially higher in low-income countries than in high-income countries. The pattern of decreasing hours with aggregate income holds for both men and women, for adults of all ages and education levels, and along both the extensive and intensive margin. Within countries, hours worked per worker are also decreasing in the individual wage for most countries, though in the richest countries, hours worked are flat or increasing in the wage. One implication of our fndings is that aggregate productivity and welfare differences across countries are larger than currently thought.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 170-199 |
| Number of pages | 30 |
| Journal | American Economic Review |
| Volume | 108 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jan 1 2018 |
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ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Economics and Econometrics
Cite this
How do hours worked vary with income? cross-country evidence and implications. / Bick, Alexander; Fuchs-Schündeln, Nicola; Lagakos, David.
In: American Economic Review, Vol. 108, No. 1, 01.01.2018, p. 170-199.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - How do hours worked vary with income? cross-country evidence and implications
AU - Bick, Alexander
AU - Fuchs-Schündeln, Nicola
AU - Lagakos, David
PY - 2018/1/1
Y1 - 2018/1/1
N2 - This paper builds a new internationally comparable database of hours worked to measure how hours vary with income across and within countries. We document that average hours worked per adult are substantially higher in low-income countries than in high-income countries. The pattern of decreasing hours with aggregate income holds for both men and women, for adults of all ages and education levels, and along both the extensive and intensive margin. Within countries, hours worked per worker are also decreasing in the individual wage for most countries, though in the richest countries, hours worked are flat or increasing in the wage. One implication of our fndings is that aggregate productivity and welfare differences across countries are larger than currently thought.
AB - This paper builds a new internationally comparable database of hours worked to measure how hours vary with income across and within countries. We document that average hours worked per adult are substantially higher in low-income countries than in high-income countries. The pattern of decreasing hours with aggregate income holds for both men and women, for adults of all ages and education levels, and along both the extensive and intensive margin. Within countries, hours worked per worker are also decreasing in the individual wage for most countries, though in the richest countries, hours worked are flat or increasing in the wage. One implication of our fndings is that aggregate productivity and welfare differences across countries are larger than currently thought.
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U2 - 10.1257/aer.20151720
DO - 10.1257/aer.20151720
M3 - Article
VL - 108
SP - 170
EP - 199
JO - American Economic Review
JF - American Economic Review
SN - 0002-8282
IS - 1
ER -