Issues

Are Managers and Professionals Really Working More?

U.S. Department of Labor

Bureau of Labor Statistics

Summary 00–12 May 2000

in Labor Statistics

More than 60 percent of the net employment growth during the 1990s occurred

among managers and professionals, occupations in which long workweeks are quite typical. Coincident with this rise in employment

has been the perception that managers and professionals are working longer workweeks than

in the past. However, weekly hours data for

such occupations show that the average workweek has been about 42 hours during the entire decade and, in fact, has shown little variation since 1982.1

A substantial share of managers and professionals do put in extraordinarily long workweeks. In 1999, nearly 3 in 10 worked 49

hours or more per week, compared with about

2 in 10 for all nonfarm occupations. Moreover, of the men employed as managers and

professionals, about 4 in 10 worked at least

49 hours per week, twice the share among

women. As shown in the accompanying chart,

these proportions rose steadily during the

1980s, but showed no further increase in the

1990s. Because data from January 1994 forward are not directly comparable to those for

earlier years due to a redesign of the CPS, one

is cautioned to view the periods from 1989 to

1993 and from 1994 to 1999 separately. Even

so, there has been very little change in any of

these series since 1989. Similar trends occurred for the proportion of managers and

professionals working 60 hours or more per

week.

Indeed, the number of managers and professionals working long workweeks has increased, but so too has the number working

fewer than 49 hours per week. Since 1994,

the number of persons at work in these occupations has risen by about 6.5 million, to 38.6

million. The number working 49 hours or more

has increased by nearly 1.8 million, to 10.8 million. Of the net employment increase among

managers and professionals, however, the share

of those working 49 hours or more is still about

28 percent.

As for managers and professionals overall, there was relatively little change in average weekly hours for managers and professionals separately during the 1990s. (See

table.) Among both men and women, the average workweek for managers and professionals alike remained about unchanged over the

past 10 years, with managers working more

hours per week than professionals. Women

make up a growing share of all managers and

professionals, and they tend to have shorter

workweeks than do men. In the short-run,

however, these factors have little effect on

overall average weekly hours of managers and

professionals. If women’s shares of these occupations had remained at the 1994 level, average weekly hours for the group overall still

would have changed little, edging up by only

1

 The source of these data is the Bureau of Labor

Statistic Current Population Survey (CPS), a monthly

sample survey of about 50,000 households. (The

current occupational classification system used in

the CPS has been in effect since 1982.)

0.2 hour to 42.1 hours by 1999, compared with

the actual change of 0.1 hour.

The hours series presented here are for all

managerial and professional workers, both full

and part-time, but the hours trends for those

who usually work full time show very little

change, as well.

Stable weekly work hours are not necessarily incompatible with the perception of busier

schedules among managers and professionals.

The perception could reflect changes in time

spent on other activities (commuting, for example), more intense pressure during work

hours, the increased workload of one’s spouse,

or other factors.

For additional information on hours at

work and a technical description of the Current Population Survey from which the data

used in this report were derived, contact Randy

E. Ilg, Office of Employment and Unemploy1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998

10

20

30

40

50

10

20

30

40

50

 The share of managers and professionals working 49 hours or more per week 

 Percent Percent

NOTE: Data for 1994 and later years are not directly comparable with data for 1993 and earlier years, because

of the introduction of a major redesign of the CPS questionnaire and collection methodology.

Men

Both sexes

Women
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Both sexes Men Women

Total Managers Professionals

ProfesManagers sionals Total TotalProfesManagers sionals

1982 ........................................... 41.2 43.6 39.0 44.0 45.3 42.6 36.8 40.0 34.9

1983 ........................................... 41.4 43.6 39.5 44.1 45.2 42.9 37.3 40.1 35.7

1984 ........................................... 41.8 44.0 39.9 44.6 45.7 43.3 37.8 40.5 36.0

1985 ........................................... 42.0 44.2 40.0 44.8 46.0 43.4 38.1 40.8 36.2

1986 ........................................... 42.2 44.2 40.2 44.9 46.1 43.6 38.4 40.9 36.5

1987 ........................................... 41.9 44.0 39.9 44.7 45.9 43.3 38.3 40.8 36.4

1988 ........................................... 42.3 44.4 40.4 45.3 46.5 43.8 38.6 41.1 36.7

1989 ........................................... 42.6 44.6 40.6 45.5 46.6 44.2 38.9 41.4 36.9

1990 ........................................... 42.3 44.2 40.3 45.2 46.3 43.9 38.6 41.1 36.7

1991 ........................................... 42.2 44.1 40.2 45.0 46.2 43.7 38.7 41.1 36.8

1992 ........................................... 41.7 43.7 39.8 44.5 45.9 43.0 38.4 40.7 36.6

1993 ........................................... 42.2 44.3 40.2 45.1 46.6 43.5 38.8 41.1 37.1

1994 ........................................... 41.9 44.0 40.0 45.1 46.5 43.5 38.5 40.7 36.7

1995 ........................................... 42.0 44.0 40.1 45.2 46.4 43.7 38.5 40.7 36.8

1996 ........................................... 41.9 43.9 40.0 45.1 46.4 43.5 38.5 40.6 36.8

1997 ........................................... 42.1 44.0 40.2 45.2 46.5 43.6 38.8 40.8 37.1

1998 ........................................... 41.8 43.6 39.9 44.8 46.2 43.2 38.4 40.4 36.8

1999 ........................................... 42.0 43.9 40.2 45.1 46.4 43.5 38.8 40.7 37.3

Year

Both sexes Men

Average weekly hours at work for executive, administrative, and managerial (managers) and professional specialty

(professionals) occupations by sex, 1982–99

Women

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