Back in 2003, the Taipei Times reported that the Taiwanese put in the most working hours of anyone in the world, averaging 2,282 per year, or 44 per week. According to a recent BBC article on workplace suicides in Taiwan, the current situation hasn’t improved much, if at all, stating that the average Taiwan employee works “about 2,200 hours annually.” Even this number would put Taiwan at the top of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s list of hours worked per country, as reported by BBC. (My guess is that the OECD left Taiwan out because it does not recognize it as a country. They list Taiwan on their website as “Chinese Taipei.”)
So where does your work schedule fit in? Are you above or below the global average? To find out, enter your information on the BBC News site “Who Works the Longest Hours?“
And while you’re at it, take a look at “Where Are You on the Global Pay Scale?“
And finally, go to Slavery Footprint’s “How Many Slaves Work for You?” to find out how your lifestyle depends on slave labor around the world. It’s a pretty slick site that brings attention to a very important topic.
(“Taiwan Works Too Hard: Survey,” Taipei Times, August 31, 2003; Cindy Sui, “Deaths Spotlight Taiwan’s ‘Overwork’ Culture,” BBC News, March 19, 2012)
[photo: “kill me now,” by Katrine Thielke, used under a Creative Commons license]
Clearing Customs 
Such interesting surveys! Thanks for bringing these to my attention. (Although the currency converter for Norway was very wrong – not sure what currency the BBC thinks we have!)
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Glad you liked them. Thanks for clicking through.
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