According to the group's 2008 "Economic Outlook" report released Monday, Korean workers (of companies with over five employees) worked an average 2,261 hours last year, the highest among the 22 member countries surveyed.

The figure has fallen every year since 1994 (2,453 hours) but Korea is the only OECD member nation where workers log more than 2,000 hours a year. Korean working hours are at least 200 hours longer and at the most 900 hours longer than other OECD members. Meanwhile, the country's average wage level is less than two thirds of the OECD average.

The average wage of a year-round Korean worker was US$25,379 in 2006, 63.8 percent of the average $39,743 of 26 OECD nations. The highest paying nation was Switzerland at $60,384 followed by Luxembourg ($59,638), Norway ($56,629) and Denmark ($56,598). Paying less than Korea were Portugal ($18,455), Hungary ($12,097), the Czech Republic ($11,292), Poland ($10,121) and Slovakia ($8,675).

(englishnews@chosun.com )