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If rich countries work less, who picks up the slack?

Shorter work weeks could pose a challenge to global justice.

Worker in blue uniform standing behind stacked fabric rolls inside a textile factory.
Worker in an Indian textile factory that produces goods for the global market. A study shows that shorter working weeks in rich countries could increase dependence on labour in other countries.
Jayne P Lambrou COMMUNICATIONS ADVISER
Presented by: Presented by: NMBU, Norwegian University of Life Sciences
Published

Many people want shorter work weeks.

The idea is simple enough. Better tools and new technology help us get more done. Instead of using all those gains for more growth, some could be used to give people more free time.

But an important part of the debate is often left out, according to a new study.

Much of what people in rich countries buy is made by workers in other countries, often poorer ones.

Lukas Godé is a researcher at the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU). He wanted to find out what this means when people call for fewer working hours.

"Working time reduction is often discussed within national borders. But in today's globalised economy, the work behind what we consume is distributed across countries," says Godé.

Beyond national borders

Many goods pass through several countries before they reach the customer.

A shirt sold in Norway may be made in Asia. The same is true for many everyday goods.

Previous studies confirm that rich countries rely heavily on labour carried out abroad.

Portrait photo of Lukas Godé.
"For every hour of paid work devoted to exports, more than seven hours of foreign labour are mobilised abroad to produce commodities consumed in Norway," says researcher Lukas Godé.

Norway relies on labour in other countries

Godé turned his attention to Norway. He found that a lot of the goods and services consumed in Norway rely on labour in other countries.

This is especially true for goods made in factories.

In 2022, a whopping 95 per cent of the work required to produce the factory-made goods used in Norway was performed abroad. Most of this work was carried out in Asian countries.

There is also a large imbalance in the exchange of labour.

"For every hour of paid work devoted to exports, more than seven hours of foreign labour are mobilised abroad to produce commodities consumed in Norway," says Godé.

A different story in Germany

Godé also studied Germany. He wanted to know if the country had achieved higher productivity by moving work abroad.

A car company, for example, might focus on the final assembly of its vehicles while the parts are made abroad.

The results show that this is not the case.

Between 1995 and 2020, Germany's improved productivity was not driven by relying more on workers in other countries.

This shows that it is possible for a country to improve its productivity and reduce working hours without shifting more work abroad.

Can rich countries have both?

The overall picture remains complex.

While Germany shows that it may be possible to work less without moving more jobs overseas, Norway shows how much a rich country can become dependent on foreign labour.

Godé thinks finding a balance is difficult.

"Achieving a fair international distribution of labour would likely imply that high-income countries compensate with domestic labour for the net surpluses of foreign labour from low-income countries which they currently benefit from. At least temporarily, that could limit the potential for reductions in working time," says Godé.

Not an argument against trade

Godé is not arguing against international trade. Neither is he saying that shorter working weeks are a bad idea.

Instead, he says the future will depend on how much people consume and how work is shared across the world.

The challenge is finding ways to improve people's lives while also reducing harm to the environment and narrowing the gap between rich and poor countries.

References:

Godé, L. International distribution of work: Justice and implications for post-growth development, Doctoral dissertation at NMBU, 2026.

Godé et al. Unequal exchange of labour and global justice: Principles for a fair international distribution of work, Ecological Economics, 2026. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolecon.2025.108838

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