South Koreans’ weekly working hours have been gradually declining since 1990, when they worked 53.8 hours a week. (image: Korea Bizwire)
SEJONG, Dec. 18 (Korea Bizwire) — South Koreans’ weekly working hours fell slightly in 2018 from a year earlier, government data showed Wednesday, as a growing number of people are seeking to strike a balance between their work and personal life.
The data compiled by Statistics Korea showed that South Korean men and women worked 41.5 hours a week on average in 2018, compared with 42.8 hours in 2017.
South Koreans’ weekly working hours have been gradually declining since 1990, when they worked 53.8 hours a week.
Nevertheless, South Koreans worked more than people in other countries.
South Koreans worked 1,967 hours on average in 2018, one of the longest in terms of the annual working hours of 29 out of 36 member states in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, according to the statistics office.
Last July, South Korea kicked off a reduction of the maximum number of weekly working hours to 52, from the previous 68 hours, as part of efforts to help people spend more time resting with family and friends and pursuing leisure activities.
(Yonhap)
