How the Netherlands Accidentally Embraced a 4-Day Work Week

The average working week in the Netherlands is 32.1 hours, the lowest in the EU.

This working hour average equates to an effective 4-day work week.

Discussion on the factors leading to this significant reduction in work hours.

The trend towards part-time work began in the mid-1980s.

Part-time employment increased significantly, with 6% of men and 22% of women working part-time before the 1980s.

By the 1990s, part-time employment reached 15% for men and 36% for women.

Dutch unions accepted reduced working hours to counter the economic downturn in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

The entrance of women into the workforce contributed greatly to the growth of part-time job opportunities.

Unemployment rates and educational qualifications of women drove demand for part-time jobs.

Modern laws were enacted in the 1990s and early 2000s to support part-time employment.

The Working Hours Act (1996) required employers to consider employees' caregiving duties.

The Flexible Working Act (2016) empowered employees to adjust their working hours and conditions.

The Netherlands has an 82% employment rate, one of the highest in the OECD.

Dutch GDP per capita ranks high due to the productivity of Dutch workers.

Increased family time is linked to higher levels of child happiness in the Netherlands.