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Argentine President Plans to Extend Working Hours While Mexico, Costa Rica, and Chile Remain at the Top of the OECD Ranking of Countries That Work the Most
A global impact proposal is under discussion in Argentina and promises to transform the labor dynamics in Latin America.
In October 2025, President Javier Milei confirmed the intention to deeply reform labor laws, allowing shifts of up to 12 hours a day. The government claims that the measure aims to increase competitiveness and encourage formalization. Currently, about 40% of the Argentine workforce operates informally, according to the National Institute of Statistics and Census (INDEC).
The proposal, however, attracts international attention. Recent data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) shows that Latin America already has some of the countries with the highest working hours in the world.
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Countries with the Highest Working Hours in the World
According to the OECD report of 2023, Mexico leads the global ranking, with 2,206 hours worked annually per person. The number is equivalent to 276 days of eight hours. The country allows shifts of up to 48 hours a week, with one day off, although many exceed this limit to supplement their income.
Next comes Costa Rica, with 2,171 hours annually, and Chile, with 1,953 hours. Since 2018, the Costa Rican Congress has been debating the adoption of the 4×3 model, which provides for four workdays and three days of rest. Chile began, in April 2024, the gradual implementation of the 40-Hour Law, which will reduce the weekly working hours from 45 to 40 by 2028, without salary cuts.
The difference between the country that works the most and the one that works the least reaches 864 hours a year. This is equivalent to 108 full days, according to the OECD, and reveals deep social and economic contrasts between nations.
Other Countries with Extensive Working Hours
In Greece, the annual average reaches 1,897 hours, resulting from a law passed in 2023 that allows for six-day weeks and 48 hours per week in specific sectors. In Israel, the average is 1,880 hours, while South Korea maintains 1,872 hours annually, even after protests against the flexibility that allows shifts of up to 21 hours a day, as long as the weekly limit does not exceed 52 hours.
In the United States, the absence of a federal law limiting working hours results in 1,832 hours annually. The routine is marked by high levels of stress and fatigue-related diseases. Turkey, with 1,811 hours, rounds out the group of the ten most hardworking nations in the OECD.
Brazil Falls Below Global Average
Brazil was not included in the 2023 report, but the International Labour Organization (ILO) reported, in 2024, that 11% of Brazilian workers exceed 48 hours per week, below the global average of 17.7%. The national average is 39 hours per week, above that of the United States and the United Kingdom, but below that of India and Mexico.
Even so, the country faces low productivity and high informality. According to the OECD, in 2015, 6% of Brazilians worked more than 50 hours a week, and the average weekly free time was 14.6 hours. This highlights an imbalance between work and personal life.
Impacts and Questions About the Argentine Model
With the reform, Milei intends to redefine the structure of the Argentine labor market. Experts, however, warn that extending working hours may intensify productivity, health, and well-being problems. While several nations are reducing working hours without salary loss, Argentina is moving in the opposite direction, betting on more hours as a solution for economic growth.
In light of this, an inevitable question arises: Does working more really mean producing more — or just living less?
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