Only two OECD countries work longer hours than Taiwan

Taipei, Average hours worked annually per worker in Taiwan were higher than all but two Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries in 2017, according to Ministry of Labor (MOL) statistics.

Taiwanese workers worked an average 169.6 hours per month in 2017, which translates into 2,035.2 hours a year, an increase of one hour from the previous year.

According to OECD statistics, available on the organization's website Thursday, only Mexico and Costa Rica worked longer, with 2,257 hours and 2,179 hours, respectively.

Taiwanese also worked longer hours than South Korea and Japan, with 2,024 hours and 1,710 hours, respectively, the data showed.

An MOL official said the high frequency of typhoons in 2016 together with holidays at the beginning and end of the year were the reason average working hours in 2017 were higher year-on-year.

In addition, Taiwan has a relatively smaller part-time work force, which currently stands at about 3 percent of the total, the official said. As a result, the country has more people working full time which increases average working hours.

Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel