Is It Possible to Reduce the Workweek in Chile?

Abstract

A new proposal to reduce the legal workweek from 45 to 40 hours has revived the debate over the number of hours worked in Chile. Do Chileans work too much? Should working hours be cut? Various OECD reports show that Chile is indeed one of the countries with the highest number of hours worked. The international trend, especially among developed countries, is toward reducing the legal workweek. In the Chilean case, however, the impact of a significant reduction in working hours must be assessed very carefully, since the effects on welfare could end up being negative and therefore contrary to those sought with this measure. Continue reading...