Top 5 countries with the longest work hours

A good work-life balance in this fast-paced world is a necessity but can be equally challenging to achieve, everyone in the professional world would agree! In this global landscape of work cultures, having exceptionally long working hours is a common practice, but ethical and acceptable? Not so much! It’s high time now that employers understand that it’s essential to keep in touch with their employees’ health and well-being, given that they're an important asset, playing a significant part in achieving goals, targets, and ultimately the success of the organization.


It’s overwhelming, but not surprising to discover that, there are several nations, with a compulsive desire for economic success, growth, and competitiveness, making their employees work for over 50 hours a week, which is not only a huge risk to employees’ well-being but also a significant interplay of work ethics and job satisfaction, ultimately leading to a significant decline of productivity, creativity, and work standards. Today, let’s dive deeper into this critical subject, learning more about the top 5 countries with the longest working hours, and exploring all about their work culture, employee well-being, and intense work schedules.

The UAE’s incredible economic success comes mainly from its oil wealth and sectors like finance and construction. While these sectors guarantee a remarkable success rate, they demand intensely long and restless working hours and continuous attention. UAE’s average working hours per week lie around 52.6 hours, which indeed demonstrates ambition and unwavering commitment towards their goals but also highlights the need to pay more attention to job satisfaction, employee well-being, and creating a more balanced work environment.

Malaysia is a prominent name in having an immensely diverse economy, consisting of several sectors like manufacturing, agriculture, and services, which highlights the highly demanding work culture and the ignorance of significant aspects such as a balanced and healthy work environment. Malaysia’s average work hours are around 52.2 hours per week, which is particularly labor-intensive, making long hours a regular part of the job.

Singapore, another renowned name, known for its highly developed economy is doing well in diverse sectors, some of which include manufacturing, technological innovations, and financial services. While these fields ensure great wealth and success, they also put the employees’ well-being at risk, ignoring the significant decrease in the work-life balance through intense work hours, almost around 51.9 hours per week.

Hong Kong, known as a notable trade and financial center, brings along with it long and hectic working hours, especially in the finance and service sectors. Consisting of a dynamic environment and high cost of living, it compels its people to be in constant stress, meeting the high demands and expectations of success, justifying them with an average of 51.6 working hours per week.

Taiwan’s economy, being greatly reliant on manufacturing and technology, perceives long and tiring working hours as a common part of its employment culture. The technology sector, being an intensely competitive industry, demands frequent modern innovations, which are only possible through the significant effort and time of the workforce. Taiwanese workers often face long working hours, an average of about 51.5 hours per week to maintain their position in the rapidly growing market.