• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Work

Only in New York: the 49-hour work week

By
Daniel Roberts
Daniel Roberts
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Daniel Roberts
Daniel Roberts
Down Arrow Button Icon
March 18, 2015, 10:27 AM ET
U.S. Stocks Are Little Changed on Earnings From Boeing, Apple
Pedestrians walk past a Wall Street sign and security camera in front of the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., on Wednesday, April 24, 2013. U.S. stocks were little changed, after the Standard & Poor's 500 Index gained for a third day, as investors watched earnings at companies from Boeing Co. to Apple Inc. Photographer: Scott Eells/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesPhotograph by Scott Eells — Bloomberg via Getty Images

You’ve heard of the 80+ hours per week that some young investment bankers work.

But new data suggests that in New York City, it isn’t just Wall Street types who rack up the hours toiling away each week.

A new report out today from New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, entitled “The Hardest Working Cities,” says that full-time workers in New York have longer work weeks than those in the next 29 largest cities.

An average New Yorker’s work week totals 49 hours and 8 minutes, mostly caused by the long commute, which, on average, totals more than six hours each week. That’s bad news in light of a 2011 Swedish study that concluded that couples in which one partner commutes more than 45 minutes each day are 40 percent likelier to divorce.

Stringer calls the data in his report a “one-two punch for lower wage workers, who get paid less and travel longer to get to work.” And for all workers, Stringer adds, the data suggest that, “employees in the Big Apple get paid less than it appears on an hourly basis, because their commutes are significantly greater than anyone else in the country. New Yorkers are dedicated, ambitious and tough, but to compete in the 21st century we need to expand our transit networks and advance policies like flexible work arrangements and predictable scheduling.”

Stringer’s report, which his office’s press release called “a first-of-its-kind analysis of workplace trends,” is based on old data from the 1990 and 2000 U.S. Census, and more recent data from the 2013 American Community Survey.

The next closest city in terms of work week hours is San Francisco, where the total work week is 48 hours, 58 minutes. Rounding out the top 10 are: Washington, D.C.; Houston; Fort Worth, Tx; Chicago; Boston; Charlotte, N.C.; Baltimore; and Seattle. Of course, that’s not a top 10 most cities want to have achieved.

For more on workplaces, check out Fortune’s 100 Best Companies to Work For 2015.
[fortune-brightcove videoid=4097965511001]

About the Author
By Daniel Roberts
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Careers

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Lists Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Lists Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Careers

Financial advisor presents a graph to her client.
Career HubEducation
How to become a financial advisor: 4 steps to a life-long career
By Preston ForeJanuary 2, 2025
1 year ago
Group of business people look at charts and graphs.
Career HubEducation
How to become an actuary: 4 steps to earn six figures
By Preston ForeOctober 21, 2024
2 years ago
Woman analyzes a chart with a laptop next to her.
Career HubEducation
How to become a CPA
By Preston ForeSeptember 27, 2024
2 years ago
Woman explains a concept to a woman sitting next to her.
Career HubEducation
How to become an accountant
By Preston ForeSeptember 20, 2024
2 years ago
Group of varied professionals stand looking toward the camera.
Career HubEducation
These are the nation’s fastest growing jobs—and many pay $100k
By Preston ForeSeptember 13, 2024
2 years ago
Nurse pulls cash out of the front pocket of their scrubs.
Career HubEducation
A guide to a nurse’s salary: Broken down by all 50 states and industry type
By Preston ForeAugust 7, 2024
2 years ago

Most Popular

The tables have turned: Florida and Texas are the biggest losers in the housing market as Ohio emerges a surprise winner
Real Estate
The tables have turned: Florida and Texas are the biggest losers in the housing market as Ohio emerges a surprise winner
By Sydney LakeApril 21, 2026
1 day ago
‘Something sinister’: What we know about the FBI probe into dead and missing scientists linked to space and military industries
Economy
‘Something sinister’: What we know about the FBI probe into dead and missing scientists linked to space and military industries
By Jim EdwardsApril 22, 2026
17 hours ago
'Something sinister could be happening': FBI looks into dead or missing nuclear and space defense scientists tied to NASA, Blue Origin, and SpaceX
Politics
'Something sinister could be happening': FBI looks into dead or missing nuclear and space defense scientists tied to NASA, Blue Origin, and SpaceX
By Catherina GioinoApril 21, 2026
1 day ago
John Ternus, the man stepping into Tim Cook and Steve Jobs' shoes, is a 25-year Apple veteran with zero LinkedIn posts
C-Suite
John Ternus, the man stepping into Tim Cook and Steve Jobs' shoes, is a 25-year Apple veteran with zero LinkedIn posts
By Kelvin Chan and The Associated PressApril 21, 2026
1 day ago
$166 billion in tariff refunds just became available, but small businesses may already be at a disadvantage
Law
$166 billion in tariff refunds just became available, but small businesses may already be at a disadvantage
By Sasha RogelbergApril 20, 2026
2 days ago
Palantir published a mini manifesto calling some cultures ‘harmful’ and ‘middling’ and said Silicon Valley has ‘a moral debt’ to the U.S.
AI
Palantir published a mini manifesto calling some cultures ‘harmful’ and ‘middling’ and said Silicon Valley has ‘a moral debt’ to the U.S.
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezApril 22, 2026
20 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.