“Eight hours labour, eight hours recreation, eight hours rest”. The slogan stands strong even today, but experience shows that it’s never that simple. The following work-life balance statistics can help us understand how people globally maintain their work-life balance to reduce the risk of health issues and increase work productivity.
So, let’s crunch the numbers and see how many people have an unhealthy work-life balance, how society fights that problem, and what’s the major cause of poor work-life equilibrium.
Work-Life Balance Facts – The Highlights
- 63% of Americans say they would choose better work-life flexibility over a salary bump.
- 87% of Americans claim remote or hybrid jobs have helped them improve their work-life balance.
- 83% of Americans believe a 4-day work week would improve their work-life balance.
- 22% of people don’t do anything to improve their work-life balance.
- 46% of Americans consider themselves workaholics.
- People who work at least 60 hours per week have a 23% higher chance of getting injured or sick.
- 66% of Americans working full-time report not being able to maintain a proper work-life balance.
- With a score of 9.4/10, Italy has the best work-life balance in the world.
- 27% of employees in Mexico work more than 50 hours per week.
- The average employee in Southern Asia works 49 hours per week.
Work-Life Balance Stats
63% of Americans say they would choose better work-life flexibility over a salary bump.
From the total number of surveyed people, 44% are absolutely sure they’d choose a better work-life balance, while 19% claim they would probably favour improved work-life balance over a salary increase. On the other hand, only 31% would prefer getting a salary hike.
87% of Americans claim remote or hybrid jobs have helped them improve their work-life balance.
As a result, only 3% of surveyed people are looking to come back to the office 100% of the time.
66% of employees would look for another job if the remote work option was off the table.
39% of employees say that if the employer cancelled their ability to work from home, they would immediately quit. 52% of employees would even accept a 5% pay cut to have flexibility in working location. Namely, 87% of employees expect the employer to support their work-life balance.
90% of US adults say work-life balance is an important aspect of their job.
Furthermore, 88% of respondents favoured work-life balance over consistent hours, 86% over easy commute, and 82% and 80%, respectively, over flexibility in when and where you work.
Another survey reveals that 57% of people prioritize a good work-life balance when choosing an employer. Moreover, 55% of people claim that job security is critical, while salary and benefits are the most important factors when choosing an employee for 61% of surveyed people.
83% of Americans believe a 4-day work week would improve their work-life balance.
Moreover, 79% of them claim it would improve their mental well-being, while 78% claim it would make them more productive. However, 71% of the same respondents claim they’d probably have to work longer hours and days to make up for the lost time.
24% of people quit their jobs due to poor work-life balance in 2020.
Alongside taking care of their personal well-being or mental health, poor work-life balance was the main reason why people felt burned out and left their jobs in 2020. With 21% each, the risk of getting Covid and lack of confidence in senior management were the other main reasons why people quit in 2020.
Another survey says that 78% of respondents have changed roles or are looking to do so because of a better work/life balance.
50.2% of people in North America work on a fixed schedule.
This figure is 2.7 percentage points lower than the world average. In comparison, 74.8% of people in Africa have a strict working schedule, while the most relaxed working environment is in Northern Europe, where only 44.8% of people work fixed hours.
On average, men spend 46.2 hours per week at work.
The number is somewhat lower for women (40.5 hrs), but that’s likely attributed to the fact that women dedicate, on average, 3.2 times more hours than men to unpaid household and care work.
92% of employees are regularly working during evenings and on weekends.
A survey shows that 92% of employees regularly work in the evening and during weekends. One of the reasons is that 72% of employees keep their communication apps open during the whole day.
29% of US people in dual-career couples consider switching companies to achieve a better work-life balance.
Furthermore, 47% of burned-out employees claim they shoulder most or all of the household work themselves. At 38%, the percentage is significantly lower for those who share responsibilities with their respective partners.
42% of people think their employer should help them achieve better work-life balance.
This includes giving employees flexible work arrangements regarding shifts, working locations, etc. Moreover, 37% of surveyed people want more perks like salary protection/fair compensation so they can improve their work-life balance.
Furthermore, employee burnout statistics reveal that employees whose manager always listens to their work-related problems are 62% less likely to feel burned out.
22% of people don’t do anything to improve their work-life balance.
29% of the lower-educated population stayed passive, while 41% of the population older than 55 did the same.
58% of employees say their managers don’t encourage them to take time off when needed.
42% of the surveyed employees say that their manager actively encourages them to take time off when needed. According to PTO statistics, 31% of US workers do not have paid time off.
54% of business travellers find bleisure the most efficient work-life balance support measure.
Extra time off to compensate for business travel comes close second at 53% of respondents while 50% of business travellers say it would be easier for them if the company allowed their partner or family to accompany them on their business trip.
What jobs have the highest work-life balance?
Workers in elementary occupations and skilled agricultural workers work an average of 40.2 hours per week each. Industry-wise, the shortest weekly hours of work are in agriculture (37.9 hours per week), while education jobs come in second at 39.3 hours per week.
Workaholics Statistics
Colombians spend only 13.3 hours on leisure and personal care (sleeping and eating included) per day.
Mexicans and Costa Ricans share the infamous second place with 13.5 hours each. The biggest hedonists, according to time devoted to leisure and personal care, are Italians (16.5 hours), the French (16.2 hours), and Spaniards (15.7 hours).
46% of Americans consider themselves workaholics.
28% of workaholic Americans claim they work too much due to financial necessity. Moreover, 58% of American office workers say they check their email right after waking up.
People who work at least 60 hours per week have a 23% higher chance of getting injured or sick.
What’s more, working overtime is associated with a 61% higher injury hazard rate compared to jobs where overtime isn’t an option.
How many Americans struggle with work-life balance?
66% of full-time Americans report not being able to maintain a proper work-life balance.
Global Work-Life Balance Statistics
With a score of 9.4/10, Italy has the best work-life balance in the world.
Denmark and Norway are right behind with 8.6 and 8.5, respectively. With 8.4 and 8.3, respectively, Spain and Norway round up the list of the top five countries with the best work-life balance.
On the other side of the spectrum, with a score of 0.4/10, Mexico has the worst work-life balance in the world. With 0.6 and 1.3, Colombia and Costa Rica come second and third.
56% of UK employees are willing to accept a lower-paid job for a better work-life balance.
33% of them claim work-life balance is the crucial factor for them when looking for a new job.
27% of employees in Mexico work more than 50 hours per week.
Turkey holds the infamous second place, with 25% of its people working 50+ hour weeks, while Russia has only 0.1% of its people spending more than 50 hours at work on a weekly basis.
48.3% of plant and machine operators/assemblers work more than 48 hours per week.
Service and sales workers (44.6%) and managers (44%) worldwide are also prone to long hours at work. Professionals (22.9%) and clerical support workers (20.2%) are on the other side of the spectrum, with a lower likelihood to work long hours.
48.8% of people in wholesale and retail trade work more than 48 hours per week.
People working in transport, storage, and communications (45.4%), as well as those in manufacturing (44.8%) and accommodation and food services (43.8%), also cross the 48-hour-per-week mark. The other side of the spectrum reveals that people working in public administration (20.3%) and education (19.9%) are much less likely to work long hours.
The average employee in Southern Asia works 49 hours per week.
The numbers are particularly high in Eastern Asia and the Pacific, where workers spend 48.8 and 47.4 hours at work on average, respectively. People in North America (37.9 hours per week), as well as employees in Europe and Central Asia (38.4 hrs), spend the least time at work.
Where does the US rank in work-life balance?
With a 5.2/10 work-life balance grade, the US ranks 29th in the world. This is mainly because every tenth person works very long hours.
COVID Work-Life Balance Statistics
- As a result of COVID, 27% of people in America struggle to unplug from work.
- 84% of workers say they’re likely to work after hours.
53% of employees are more likely to prioritize their health and well-being over work than before the pandemic.
Parents (55%) and women (56%) are trend-leaders in this category.
35.4% of the global workforce worked more than 48 hours per week pre-COVID.
The percentage of workers who put in more than 48 hours per week on a regular basis was higher in developing countries. Namely, at 57.1%, Southern Asia was the region with the highest percentage of people working over 48 hours per week. In comparison, Eastern Europe had 4.5% of people doing the same.
43% of Canadian employees believe that COVID-19 will redefine the typical office hours.
Trends in work-life balance are bound to shift in the near future. Not only do 8 out of 10 Canadians think that 9–5 will no longer be the norm, but they also believe that, with remote work and more flexible hours, everyone will have a better work-life balance.
Recent data shows that IT and financial workers are the most likely to benefit from these changes after the pandemic (56%).
Benefits of Work-Life Balance Statistics
Microsoft Japan saw a 39.9% productivity spike after introducing 4-day workweeks.
According to work-life balance and productivity statistics, the company also saw a decrease in operating costs, with 23.1% less electricity spent and 58.7% fewer pages printed during that time. Obviously, 92.1% of employees said they liked the experiment since the top 10% of productive employees don’t work the entire eight-hour shift.
What is a good work-life balance?
A good work-life balance entails fulfilling all work tasks and still having time to wind down after work, sleep and eat well, as well as spend quality time with your family and friends.
Why is work-life balance important?
The benefits of work-life balance include but aren’t limited to higher productivity, better life satisfaction, and fewer health issues.
Statistics on Work-Life Balance – The Summary
The data has shown that fewer work hours and bigger flexibility lead to better productivity and greater life satisfaction. Of course, we still have a long way to go, but according to the work-life balance statistics we covered, it looks like the changes for better work-life balance have already started.