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Korea works 501 hours more per year than Germany… 6th longest working hours in OECD
🇰🇷 South Korea /Economy & Trade

Korea works 501 hours more per year than Germany… 6th longest working hours in OECD

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Documents & data Context piece
  • South Korea's average annual working hours decreased by 32 hours to 1,833 last year.
  • Despite the reduction, the country still works nearly 100 hours more annually than the OECD average.
  • South Korea ranks sixth among OECD member countries for the longest average working hours.

South Koreans worked an average of 1,833 hours annually last year, a decrease of 32 hours from the previous year. While this marks a continued downward trend, the nation still works approximately 100 hours more per year than the average across member countries of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

According to OECD data, the average working hours in South Korea have been steadily declining. From 2,163 hours in 2010, it dropped to 1,992 hours in 2018, the year the 52-hour workweek limit was introduced. The figure fell further to 1,900 hours in 2022, 1,872 in 2023, and 1,865 in 2024.

Despite these reductions, South Korea remains among the countries with the longest working hours within the OECD. Based on the latest available figures for 36 member states, South Korea ranks sixth. Countries with longer average working hours include Mexico (2,205 hours), Costa Rica (2,183 hours), Chile (1,912 hours), Greece (1,874 hours), and Israel.

DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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