Most Americans would prefer a four-day work week

Everybody’s working for the weekend, but what if the weekend was a little bit longer? New data from YouGov finds that most Americans would prefer a four-day workweek with longer hours, rather than the traditional five-day workweek.

Last week, Microsoft shared results from a recent initiative called the “Work Life Choice Challenge,” which shut down Microsoft’s Japan offices every Friday in August, giving employees the day off. The company reported that productivity — measured by sales per employee — went up by almost 40 percent compared to the same period the previous year.

Americans would welcome a similar initiative in their own workplaces. A recent poll of more than 36,000 Americans finds that 67 percent would prefer a four-day workweek with 10-hour days rather than the traditional five-day workweek with 8-hour days. About one in five (21%) would prefer a five-day workweek.

Across income groups, majorities say they would prefer a four-day workweek with 10-hour days. But those with an annual household income of $80,000 or more are especially likely to say they’d prefer this: 76% of this group would rather have a four-day workweek. Seven in 10 (70%) households with an income between $40,000 and $80,000 annually agree, along with 61% of people who have a household income below $40,000.

Close to a quarter (23%) of those with an income below $40,000 per year say they would prefer a five-day workweek. Fewer than one in five (17%) Americans making $80,000 or more annually says the same.

A YouGov poll from 2017 found that 36 percent of Americans believed that they would be more productive with a four-day workweek. Those with a household income of $80,000 or more (42%) were especially likely to say they’d be more productive with a four-day workweek. In this survey, 21 percent of Americans said they would be no more or less productive, while 8 percent said they would be less productive.

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