| American suffers from an overdose of
work{{U}} (51) {{/U}}who they are or what they do. They spend{{U}}
(52) {{/U}}time at work than at any time since World War Ⅱ. In 1950,
the US had fewer working hours than any other{{U}} (53) {{/U}}country.
Today, it{{U}} (54) {{/U}}every country but Japan, where industrial
employees log 2, 155 hours a year compared{{U}} (55) {{/U}}1, 951 in the
US and 1, 603{{U}} (56) {{/U}}West employees. Between 1969 mad
1989, employed Americans{{U}} (57) {{/U}}an average of 138 hours to
their yearly work schedules. The work-week{{U}} (58) {{/U}}at about 40
hours, but people are working more weeks each year.{{U}} (59) {{/U}},
paid time off-holidays, vacations, sick leave--{{U}} (60) {{/U}}15
percent in the 1990s. As corporations have{{U}} (61) {{/U}}stiffer competition and slower growth in productivity, they{{U}} (62) {{/U}}employees to work longer. Cost-cutting layoffs in the 1980s{{U}} (63) {{/U}}the professional and managerial ranks, leaving fewer people to get the job done. In lower-paid occupations{{U}} (64) {{/U}}wages have been reduced, workers have added hous{{U}} (65) {{/U}}over-time or extra jobs to{{U}} (66) {{/U}}their living standard. The Government estimates that more than seven million people hold a second job. For the first time, large{{U}} (67) {{/U}}of people say they want to cut{{U}} (68) {{/U}}on working hours, even if it means earning less money. But most employers are{{U}} (69) {{/U}}to let them do so. The government, which has stepped back from its traditional{{U}} (70) {{/U}}as a regulator of work time, should take steps to make shorter hours possible. |