Why a fixed workweek?

B-Tier
Journal: Journal of Behavioral and Experimental Economics
Year: 2009
Volume: 38
Issue: 5
Pages: 790-798

Authors (2)

Score contribution per author:

1.005 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 1.0x B-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

The main goal of this article is to explain why the fixed workweek appeared. To this purpose we differentiate between "jobs" and "hours per job". We consider an economy where hours and number of workers are substitutes in production but in which hiring a worker entails a fixed cost plus a variable cost per hour worked. As a consequence, firms would like workers to work as many hours as possible. In an unregulated economy, workers work more hours that they would like to at the on-going wage rate. This situation characterizes the economy of today's industrialized countries in the 19th century.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:eee:soceco:v:38:y:2009:i:5:p:790-798
Journal Field
Experimental
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-25