London CNN —Iceland’s economy is outperforming most European peers after the nationwide introduction of a shorter working week with no loss in pay, according to research released Friday.
In two large trials between 2015 and 2019, public sector employees in Iceland worked 35-36 hours per week, with no reduction in pay.
The trials involved 2,500 people — more than 1% of Iceland’s working population at the time — and were aimed at maintaining or increasing productivity while improving work-life balance.
Following the trials, Icelandic trade unions negotiated reductions in working hours for tens of thousands of their members across the country.
That is much higher than the country’s average growth rate of almost 2% in the decade between 2006 and 2015.
Persons:
Alda
Organizations:
London CNN, Autonomy Institute, Iceland’s Association for Sustainability, Democracy, Iceland …, International Monetary
Locations:
Iceland, Europe, United Kingdom, Malta, United States, Ireland