Working Hours, Shift, and Remote Work by Industry and Occupation in U.S. Full-time Workers

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Workforce Studies
• Public Health

Background:

• Examines working hours, shift work, and remote work patterns in the U.S.
• Focuses on full-time workers across various occupations and industries.
• Investigates the relationship between working and sleeping durations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze working time, shift patterns, and remote work trends among U.S. full-time employees.
• To establish benchmarks for working hours and schedules across different job sectors.
• To inform occupational health strategies for mitigating risks associated with work hours and shift work.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from the American Time Use Survey (ATUS) from 2011 to 2020.
• Analyzed time-use data for individuals aged 15 and older in the United States.
• Examined patterns in working hours, shift work, remote work, and sleep duration.

Main Results:

• Full-time workers averaged 8.1 work hours and 7.8 sleep hours on workdays (2011-2019).
• Emergency medical technicians/paramedics had the longest average work hours (10.4).
• Truck transportation and food services industries reported long work hours and non-daytime shifts; 34% of workers engaged in remote work in 2020.

Conclusions:

• Provides crucial data for comparing work schedules across occupations and industries.
• Highlights the need for prevention measures in occupational health.
• Supports evidence-based advocacy for addressing health impacts of prolonged work and shift schedules.