While statistics are tricky, I think there&#x27;s a decent chance your entire premise - that we have all had a modest cut to our hours in exchange for less consumer goods - is untrue.<p><a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.mybudget360.com&#x2F;wp-content&#x2F;uploads&#x2F;2011&#x2F;07&#x2F;index_weekly_hours.jpg" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.mybudget360.com&#x2F;wp-content&#x2F;uploads&#x2F;2011&#x2F;07&#x2F;index_...</a><p><a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;bigpicture.typepad.com&#x2F;comments&#x2F;images&#x2F;wsj_prod_vs_hours.gif" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;bigpicture.typepad.com&#x2F;comments&#x2F;images&#x2F;wsj_prod_vs_ho...</a><p><a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;qzprod.files.wordpress.com&#x2F;2014&#x2F;09&#x2F;average-annual-hours-worked-per-employed-person-1979-2012_chartbuilder.png?w=640" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;qzprod.files.wordpress.com&#x2F;2014&#x2F;09&#x2F;average-annual-ho...</a><p>especially for allegedly supervisory positions with job security &amp; a salary, which no longer have to pay overtime;  Hours worked per full-time employee has gone up, while part-time hourly positions have become much more common.  Hourly jobs we now expect to work just enough that no benefits are offered (~39.9 hours), and double up to 78.8 hours over two jobs if we want to actually support a family... the better half of retail jobs will respect that sort of arrangement, while the worse half will require you to work 25-39 hours virtually &quot;on-call&quot;, coming in whenever a gap presents itself, if you want to achieve that many hours.<p>The death of the labor movement has not helped the situation.<p>The best I could find to support your argument is<p><a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;b-i.forbesimg.com&#x2F;theapothecary&#x2F;files&#x2F;2013&#x2F;07&#x2F;PTEconomic.png" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;b-i.forbesimg.com&#x2F;theapothecary&#x2F;files&#x2F;2013&#x2F;07&#x2F;PTEcono...</a><p><a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;ibankcoin.com&#x2F;news&#x2F;files&#x2F;2013&#x2F;04&#x2F;labor-force-participation-rate-march.png" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;ibankcoin.com&#x2F;news&#x2F;files&#x2F;2013&#x2F;04&#x2F;labor-force-particip...</a>