Although some Americans always like to boast about their superior work ethic, this disparity in working hours between the US and Europe has not always existed. Indeed, until the mid-1970's, the number of hours worked on either side of the Atlantic was roughly the same.
目前，法德两国15到25岁年龄段员工的平均工作时间与美国相比约低50%。其它欧洲国家（如意大利和西班牙）则处于两者之间。尽管有些美国人总喜欢吹嘘自己工作理念如何出众，美欧之间工作时数的差异并非向来如此。实际上，20世纪70年代为止，大西洋两岸劳工的工作时数还大体相同。