&gt; Nearly a century ago, economist John Maynard Keynes famously predicted that we would work fifteen-hour weeks by the year 2030<p>In 1930, when Keynes predicted the 15 hour work week, the average American earned $1,368&#x2F;year which is roughly $19,500&#x2F;year in todays dollars.<p>19500&#x2F;52 = $375&#x2F;week.
In 1930, in manufacturing, the average person worked 50.6 hours per week. (<a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;eh.net&#x2F;encyclopedia&#x2F;hours-of-work-in-u-s-history&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;eh.net&#x2F;encyclopedia&#x2F;hours-of-work-in-u-s-history&#x2F;</a>).
so about $7.50&#x2F;hour<p>In 2015 the average family income was $53657.
53657&#x2F;52 = $1031&#x2F;week
But in 2015 the average person worked on average only 34.4 hours per week (<a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;fortune.com&#x2F;2015&#x2F;11&#x2F;11&#x2F;chart-work-week-oecd&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;fortune.com&#x2F;2015&#x2F;11&#x2F;11&#x2F;chart-work-week-oecd&#x2F;</a>) so just shy of $30&#x2F;hour.<p>If modern Americans were content living at the same level of consumption as their 1930&#x27;s counterparts they would only have to work 12.5 hours per week to earn that same $375 in purchasing power.  Outdoing Keynes&#x27; prediction 15 years ahead of schedule.