The flexibility of working hours among wage earners

The study examines the variation and flexibility of working hours among wage earners in Finland.

The debate on working hours has shifted from the length of working time to flexibility — both individual freedom of choice and short-term adjustment to production needs. The aim of the study is to make use of Statistics Finland’s individual panel data to map the variation in the working hours of wage earners, as previous knowledge has been based primarily on cross-sectional analyses.

The empirical findings show that actual annual working hours have shortened more rapidly than theoretical projections as holidays have increased, and the gap between workers and salaried employees has narrowed. Absences have remained fairly stable — the share due to illness and accidents in Finland is around the Nordic average. Overtime has become more common in the 1980s and accounts for approximately two percent of all hours worked, but aggregate figures conceal the extent to which overtime reflects the wishes of employees themselves or the unilateral needs of employers. (AI translation)

• ISSN: 0358-5980
• ISBN: 951-9282-45-9