Mexico maintains longest working hours in OECD, with nearly 600 extra annual hours compared to average

Mexican workers dedicate more hours to their jobs than those in any other country within the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Between 2023 and 2025, the average annual work hours for Mexican employees decreased slightly to 2,299 hours, a reduction of 0.5%. However, this figure remains substantially higher than the OECD average of 1,705 annual hours across its 38 member nations.

This means Mexican workers labor nearly 600 hours more per year than their counterparts in other OECD countries. Following Mexico, workers in Costa Rica and Chile also log extensive hours, both Latin American nations. Conversely, European countries like Germany, Austria, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland report the lowest working hours, with their employees spending between 900 and nearly 1,000 fewer hours on paid labor annually compared to Mexicans.

The OECD attributes the general decrease in working hours to factors such as productivity gains, shifting worker preferences towards fewer overtime hours or part-time work, changes in labor regulations, and collective bargaining agreements. In Mexico, these factors are accompanied by notable productivity advancements. The OECD's 2026 "Employment Outlook" report highlights that Mexico has demonstrated relatively solid labor productivity growth since the COVID-19 crisis began.

Productivity in Mexico increased by 1.96% between 2023 and 2024, significantly exceeding the OECD average of 0.62%. This recent surge surpasses the growth seen between 2019 and 2023. Furthermore, real wages in Mexico have also seen robust growth, rising 15.1% in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the first quarter of 2021. This increase is considerably higher than the OECD average of 1.2% during the same period, indicating a substantial improvement in purchasing power for Mexican workers.