Publisher's Synopsis
The Microeconomics of the Shorter Working Week provides a fresh perspective on reductions in working time. It reverses the results of earlier research, including the authors? own, which suggested that reductions in the working week increased productivity. On the basis of their new research the authors conclude that reduced hours generally have no permanent effect on productivity. Where employers reduce hours in response to union demands, productivity improvements already under consideration may be agreed earlier, but the long-run level of productivity is unaffected. The major potential consequence of reduced hours is higher employment. The authors thoroughly explore why their research results differ from those obtained previously. In particular they highlight the advantages of case studies and the limitations of postal surveys. The book also considers reduced hours in Belgium, France and Germany. It suggests that public policy should encourage shorter working hours where this is most likely to avoid redundancies or increase employment.
