Do Long Hours at Work Make Americans Happier?
Why do Americans spend so many more hours working than people in other countries? A new study suggests that it could be because Americans are happier doing so than people in other countries would be. It found that Americans who work longer hours are slightly happier than those who work shorter hours, but that Europeans are happier if they work less and have more leisure time. And it appears to contradict study from professors at Stanford and Wharton, who found that for most people, work has a negative impact on happiness.
Adam Okulicz-Kozaryn, of the University of Texas at Dallas, surveyed both Americans and Europeans about the number of hours they worked and about their attitudes, asking participants to describe themselves as "very happy," "pretty happy," or "not too happy." Here's what he found:
- Europeans are more likely to be happy if they are working fewer hours. Among Europeans who worked fewer than 17 hours a week, some 28 percent said they were "very happy." But only 23 percent of those who worked more than 60 hours a week said they were "very happy."
- Americans reported roughly the same levels of happiness no matter how much they worked. About 43 percent said they were "very happy" or "pretty happy."
It could be that Americans are more likely to believe their hard work is going to pay off with a promotion or raise, even though studies have shown that income mobility is about the same in Europe as it is in the United States. It's also possible that in some European countries, people have views similar to those in the United States. But because the study was pan-European rather than country-by-country, it doesn't provide the answer to that question.
- It could be that Americans are happier to work more because U.S. tax rates are lower than those in Europe, so more of a worker's pay goes into his or her own pocket.
- One could also claim that Europeans are happier working fewer hours because their countries have more generous social safety nets for those who can't make ends meet.
RELATED
- Scientifically Proven Ways to Be Happier
- Is Your Employee Sick? Or Taking a "Mental Health" Day?
- Want to be Happier? Use Twitter
- Is Your Employee Cranky? Why You Should Take it Seriously
Kimberly Weisul is a freelance writer, editor and consultant. Follow her on twitter at www.twitter.com/weisul.