What is happening to weekly hours in Canada?

by René Morissette and Deborah Sunter
Business and Labour Market Analysis Division
Analytical Studies Branch research paper series, No. 065

During the eighties, the dispersion of weekly hours increased in Canada for men but not for women. For both men and women, weekly hours have become more dispersed in full-time jobs. The dispersion of weekly hours has not risen at the aggregate level among women because women employed part-time increased their weekly hours relative to those employed full-time during the second half of the eighties.

Between 1981 and 1993, the percentage of individuals working standard workweeks fell and the proportion of individuals working either short or long hours increased for both sexes. The shift towards both short and long hours persists regardless of macroeconomic conditions. The movement towards long hours is more pronounced among men aged 25 or more than among their younger counterparts. It is also greater among highly educated workers than among low-educated workers. It is observed in most industries but not in all occupations. Long hours have become more important among managers but also among men employed in sales, among women employed in natural and social sciences and among individuals working in processing-related occupations.

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