Skip to main content

LUP Student Papers

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

The Last Working Time Reduction - Lessons from the statutory working time reductions in Sweden and Norway 1969-1980

Sällström, Simon LU (2020) NEKH01 20192
Department of Economics
Abstract
Statutory standard weekly working time reductions (SWRs) have been associated with a number of positive effects. Some of which include work-sharing, increased gender equality, and fewer workplace injuries. This paper exploits the timing of the introduction of the SWRs to the 40-hour workweek in Sweden (1973) and Norway (1977) to estimate effects on hours worked, employment, female employment, wage growth, and workplace injuries. Panel fixed effects estimates indicate that a SWR of 2.5 hours is associated with a fall in actual hours worked per week by 1 hour. Neither difference in differences nor panel fixed effects estimates yield any employment effect. The introduction of the 40-hour SWRs is associated with a 0.05 percentage points... (More)
Statutory standard weekly working time reductions (SWRs) have been associated with a number of positive effects. Some of which include work-sharing, increased gender equality, and fewer workplace injuries. This paper exploits the timing of the introduction of the SWRs to the 40-hour workweek in Sweden (1973) and Norway (1977) to estimate effects on hours worked, employment, female employment, wage growth, and workplace injuries. Panel fixed effects estimates indicate that a SWR of 2.5 hours is associated with a fall in actual hours worked per week by 1 hour. Neither difference in differences nor panel fixed effects estimates yield any employment effect. The introduction of the 40-hour SWRs is associated with a 0.05 percentage points reduction of wage growth. No relationship between SWRs and female employment or the rate of workplace injuries is found. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
Sällström, Simon LU
supervisor
organization
course
NEKH01 20192
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
statutory working time reduction, working hours, work-sharing reform, employment, female employment, workplace injuries.
language
English
id
9004589
date added to LUP
2020-02-27 14:15:35
date last changed
2020-05-19 12:23:54
@misc{9004589,
  abstract     = {{Statutory standard weekly working time reductions (SWRs) have been associated with a number of positive effects. Some of which include work-sharing, increased gender equality, and fewer workplace injuries. This paper exploits the timing of the introduction of the SWRs to the 40-hour workweek in Sweden (1973) and Norway (1977) to estimate effects on hours worked, employment, female employment, wage growth, and workplace injuries. Panel fixed effects estimates indicate that a SWR of 2.5 hours is associated with a fall in actual hours worked per week by 1 hour. Neither difference in differences nor panel fixed effects estimates yield any employment effect. The introduction of the 40-hour SWRs is associated with a 0.05 percentage points reduction of wage growth. No relationship between SWRs and female employment or the rate of workplace injuries is found.}},
  author       = {{Sällström, Simon}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{The Last Working Time Reduction - Lessons from the statutory working time reductions in Sweden and Norway 1969-1980}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}