Working hours and Quality of Life

Mark McIlroy

August 2025



Quality of life is largely related to working hours. In an environment where it is necessary to work long hours just in order to survive there is no quality of life.

In the 1950's, most households had one income only. The partner then did the housework enabling all within the house
to only work eight hours a day.

Fast forward to the 2020's and many households are dual-income. A husband and wife both work, then there is commuting
and the housework also needs to be done.

In this environment quality of life has become significantly worse over the last 50 years, not better.


2.

By my estimate, the human race has the technology to enable every person to have food, clothes and a house if
every person on plant Earth worked only two hours a day.

I justify this by pointing out that, in developed countries, only 2% of the population work in the industry that
produces all of the food for society.


3.

Why then isn't this happening?

One reason is an effect of economics, involving rent.

A relatively small percentage of the population owns a house outright. Most either rent or are paying a mortgage.

When incomes rise, so does demand for houses, which pushes up rents.

The net effect of this is that rents rise to the highest sustainable levels, and people are forced to work very long hours
just to pay their rent and survive.

This is not a desirable situation.

Other reasons might include changes the cultural environment which don't encourage settling in regional areas, which pushes up costs in the major cities.