Forget 40 hours: The Dutch complete their work in just 32 hours a week—and women made it happen

Since the pandemic, American workers have been keeping their remote schedules for as long as possible as staffers. Loving the freedom that comes with flexible schedules, some have even advocated for four-day workweeks—but for one small European nation, that dream is already a reality.

Workers in the Netherlands between the ages of 20 and 64 worked an average of 32.1 hours per week in 2024, according to Eurostat. The country had the highest rate of shorter workweeks in Europe, followed by Austria, Germany, and Denmark all reporting roughly 34-hour workweeks.

In contrast, full-time employed Americans worked an average of 42.9 hours weekly in 2024, according to a —and that’s actually an improvement from 2019, when U.S. staffers clocked in 44.1 hours weekly. But it’s not only North Americans who are committed to the grind, as over a third of employed people in the EU spent nearly 40 to 45 hours on the job weekly in 2024, according to the Eurostat data.

How women in the workforce helped shift the Netherlands to 32 hour workweeks

There’s a major reason why the Dutch have quietly shifted to a four-day workweek: women. Since their entrance into the workforce several decades ago, things have never been the same.

Like many other countries around the world, the Netherlands used to operate on a male-centered working model that placed men as the breadwinners. The days were stretched longer under that standard—more similar to America’s traditional 40-hour workweek—but then women started to join the labor force in part-time roles starting in the 1980s.

Over the 40 years since, women’s workforce participation has changed the family earning structure and the country’s tax codes. The Netherlands went on to adopt a “one-and-a-half” earning model, where one parent worked full-time and the other part-time. The popular setup was supported with tax breaks and benefits, enabling it to become a standard among employees of all genders. Even working dads soon took advantage of the new structure, leaving work early to care for their young children.

Shorter workweeks could also combat unemployment—and America’s working women need it

The Dutch’s new way of work is not only about juggling caretaking responsibilities. It’s also keeping people in the labor force, while other countries struggle with unemployment rates.

In 1991, just as more women were taking on part-time roles in the Netherlands, the country’s unemployment rate stood at 7.3%, according to The World Bank. Only a decade later, that number dropped significantly—only 2.1% of the country’s population was jobless. While there have been fluctuations in the years since, the unemployment rate has remained steadily low since 2018, currently at just 3.7%. Since its citizens have more flexible workweek options, more are able to stay in the labor force while managing their personal responsibilities.

Comparatively, the U.S.’s unemployment rate stood at just 4.3% this January, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. But with the U.S.’s population of 342 million people, compared to the Netherlands with just 18 million citizens, the 0.6% difference in unemployment rates represents millions and millions more Americans out of work. And there’s one group of people who may be most at risk of being unemployed in the U.S.: women.

Whether it be the pendulum,, or a, women are leaving the workforce in droves: Between January and June of 2025, 212,000 women aged 20 and older have left the American workforce, according to a BLS analysis. Meanwhile, 44,000 men entered the labor force in that same time period. In that six-month span, the employment rate of women ages 25 to 44 living with a child under five fell from 69.7% to 66.9%.

A version of this story was published on on August 28, 2025.

More on women in the workforce:

• Sheryl Sandberg breaks down why it’s a
• Men joined the labor force at of women in 2025
• The new American workplace crisis: Return-to-office mandates lead to a