BISMARCK, ND ( KXNET ) — Many of us tend to believe that work weeks generally fall into the category of ‘nine to five’ days — but in recent times, increased demand and low staff often force businesses to extend these hours. As one may expect, this leads to some fields reporting longer and more grueling days than others. Which workers face the brunt of this overtime overload?

To find the answer to this question, law firm Schmidt & Clark examined data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics regarding the average number of weekly hours worked in each industry as of February 2024. When the hours of each field were compared to the national average, it was determined that industries such as goods production, utilities, and especially the mining and logging fields tend to work far longer than the national average.

On the opposite end of this spectrum, professional and business services, private services, and especially those in the leisure and hospitality fields report working hours below the national average — which often results in more time to practice self-care and maintain a proper work/life balance.

“In April 2024, 161.49 million people were employed in the U.S.,” states a Schmid t & Clark spokesperson, “0.33% more than the previous year. This study highlights the industries working the longest hours in February 2024, increasing the risk of burnout, with mining and logging coming out on top. Therefore, as an essential industry for the nation and the wider world, business leaders within the sector must take the steps needed to support these workers, including investing in mental health support and encouraging the use of vacations. Leisure and hospitality, however, has been named the most underworked industry after logging the least number of hours as of February 2024. Despite being an in-demand industry, this may be due to the number of part-time workers compared to other industries, such as construction. It will be interesting to see if this number will rise during the summer months when the public is more likely to spend time on vacation and in restaurants.”

For more information on labor in America — including up-to-date statistics on workplace injuries, hours, and the US economy as a whole — visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics website here .

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