Shorter Work Hours Could Create Jobs, Study Shows

Shortening work hours could have the effect of creating up to 150,000 jobs over the next six to seven years, according to a study by the Labor Ministry.

The ministry studied 23 companies to find out the most effective way of creating jobs.

The most jobs would be created by shortening weekly working hours from 68 to 52 and limiting the kinds of business that can extend working hours beyond the legal limit from 26 categories to 10.

A ministry official said, "Some 18,500 jobs can be created in the first year of cutting working hours and up to 150,000 in six or seven years."

By contrast, leaving working hours as they are would lead to just 13,700 new jobs being created in the first year.