Hours of work needed … jobless family claiming minimum income benefits in United States
United States: Hours of work needed … jobless family claiming minimum income benefits was 24 Hours per week in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
24 Hours per week
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
4th
of 31 countries
All-time high
26 Hours per week
in 2019
All-time low
20 Hours per week
in 2009
Years of data
25
2001–2025
Hours of work needed to escape poverty — Working hours needed to in United States, 2001–2025
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Hours per week.
Analysis
In 2025, hours of work needed to escape poverty — working hours needed to in United States stood at 24 Hours per week.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 14.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, hours of work needed to escape poverty — working hours needed to in United States peaked at 26 Hours per week in 2019 and was at its lowest, 20 Hours per week, in 2009.
United States ranks 4th of 31 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Hours of work needed … jobless family claiming minimum income benefits in United States, year by year
| Year | Hours per week | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 24 Hours per week | — |
| 2002 | 23 Hours per week | -4.2% |
| 2003 | 22 Hours per week | -4.3% |
| 2004 | 22 Hours per week | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 23 Hours per week | +4.5% |
| 2006 | 22 Hours per week | -4.3% |
| 2007 | 22 Hours per week | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 21 Hours per week | -4.5% |
| 2009 | 20 Hours per week | -4.8% |
| 2010 | 20 Hours per week | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 20 Hours per week | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 20 Hours per week | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 20 Hours per week | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 20 Hours per week | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 21 Hours per week | +5.0% |
| 2016 | 22 Hours per week | +4.8% |
| 2017 | 22 Hours per week | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 24 Hours per week | +9.1% |
| 2019 | 26 Hours per week | +8.3% |
| 2020 | 26 Hours per week | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 23 Hours per week | -11.5% |
| 2022 | 24 Hours per week | +4.3% |
| 2023 | 25 Hours per week | +4.2% |
| 2024 | 24 Hours per week | -4.0% |
| 2025 | 24 Hours per week | +0.0% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 24 Hours per week is above the median for high income countries, which is 20 Hours per week, 1.2× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 22.11 Hours per week | 20 Hours per week | 24 Hours per week | 9 |
| 2010s | 21.5 Hours per week | 20 Hours per week | 26 Hours per week | 10 |
| 2020s | 24.33 Hours per week | 23 Hours per week | 26 Hours per week | 6 |
Countries ranked near United States
- 1 Czechia 26 Hours per week compare
- 1 New Zealand 26 Hours per week compare
- 1 Slovenia 31 Hours per week compare
- 2 Estonia 26 Hours per week compare
- 2 Croatia 21 Hours per week compare
- 3 Cyprus 25 Hours per week compare
- 3 Latvia 24 Hours per week compare
- 4 Poland 22 Hours per week compare
- 4 Malta 24 Hours per week compare
- 4 Norway 24 Hours per week compare
- 4 Sweden 24 Hours per week compare
- 5 Lithuania 19 Hours per week compare
- 6 Netherlands 18 Hours per week compare
More economy & growth data for United States
- Real gdp growth, annual growth rate -24.2 % change on previous year (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.63 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.12 Percent per annum (2029)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, annual growth rate 4.26 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0057 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, US dollar, per capita 509.07 units per person (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, annual growth rate -0.7205 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0041 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDRs holdings, SDR, per capita 371.72 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, US dollar, annual growth rate 0.9623 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is hours of work needed to escape poverty — working hours needed to in United States?
- Hours of work needed to escape poverty — working hours needed to in United States was 24 Hours per week in 2025, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest hours of work needed to escape poverty — working hours needed to recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 26 Hours per week in 2019.
- What is the lowest hours of work needed to escape poverty — working hours needed to recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 20 Hours per week in 2009.
- How does United States rank for hours of work needed to escape poverty — working hours needed to?
- United States ranks 4th out of 31 countries with data for 2025.
- Is hours of work needed to escape poverty — working hours needed to rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Hours of work needed to escape poverty — Working hours needed to escape poverty for a jobless family claiming minimum income benefits. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
This indicator measures the working hours needed to escape poverty for a jobless family claiming minimum income benefits. Calculations for families with children assume 2 children aged 4 and 6 who do not use formal childcare.