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Aristotle believed leisure was the highest aim and the very purpose of human life and Karl Marx argued that under capitalism, labour transforms from a creative act into a commodity. The debate on work continues.
Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy said in 2023 that young professionals should work 70 hours a week for national productivity. L&T chairman S N Subrahmanyan went a step further, saying company employees should work 90 hours a week and even on Sundays. Both comments sparked a heated debate, prompting Murthy to say that it was his personal choice to work so long and it should not be imposed on anyone.
We work so that we earn enough to be independent but it often consumes most of our time. Across countries, working hours reflect that struggle. Bhutan tops the global list at 54.4 hours a week, followed by the United Arab Emirates (50.8) and Sudan (50.7) according to data from the International Labour Organization.
India last year clocked 45.7 hours — a slight improvement from 46.7 hours in 2023. Yet it ranks among the world’s top 20 busiest nations, a group that doesn’t include advanced economies. China, at 46.1 hours (based on 2016 data), mirrors India’s position — both being among the world’s largest and fastest-growing economies where rapid industrialisation and urban ambitions continue to demand long work weeks. Countries with stronger social protections and labour regulations, such as those in Europe, register far fewer hours. India’s numbers highlight the pressures of economic growth and informality.
Indians with advanced education qualifications work an average of 52.8 hours a week, compared to just 39.8 hours for those with less than basic schooling. This reversal — where education leads to longer workweeks — underscores the stress in skill-based and high-paying jobs. The better the job title, the thinner the boundary between office and life.
Sectoral differences add another layer to the paradox. The services sector, which is supposed to be flexible and innovation-driven, demands the longest average workweek at 54.6 hours, far exceeding industry (47.6 hours) and agriculture (37.8 hours). Technology, finance and communications — sectors of the modern economy —are those where work seeps most into personal time.
Together, these charts trace the arc of a global dilemma. In India’s case, the long hours capture the challenge of our time: We are yet to learn to work smarter and live better. That challenge would take a different dimension if the fears of artificial intelligence replacing jobs come true.
