Working Week Hours Across Different Industries in the U.S.

Industry with the Highest Average Work Week

Mining and logging industry workers experience the longest average workweek at 45.0 hours. This surpasses the next highest, utilities, by 2.7 hours, illustrating a significant variance in work hours across industries.

Industries with Work Weeks Longer Than the National Private Sector Average

Only five industries report average work weeks longer than the national private sector average of 34.3 hours. These include mining and logging, utilities, manufacturing, wholesale trade, and construction, highlighting a distinct separation between industrial and service-oriented sectors in terms of work hours.

Contrast in Work Hours Between Sectors

Leisure and hospitality workers have the shortest average workweek at 25.6 hours, almost 20 hours less per week than workers in the mining and logging industry. This stark contrast showcases the wide disparities in work hours among different sectors.

Manufacturing Industry's Position

With an average workweek of 39.9 hours, the manufacturing industry ranks third for the longest work hours. This indicates a robust work requirement that is closer to traditional full-time employment standards than many other sectors.

Retail and Leisure Sectors' Shorter Work Weeks

Retail trade and leisure and hospitality industries report significantly shorter average work weeks, at 29.8 and 25.6 hours respectively, suggesting a prevalence of part-time employment or variable work schedules in these sectors.

Professional Services and Information Sector Work Week Comparison

Professional and business services and the information sector both average 36.4 hours per week, underscoring a similarity in work duration that may reflect standard full-time work hours in office and tech-based roles.