Work hours mismatches among the employed are common. About 7 percent prefer fewer than their current work hours even if it means less income, while another 25 percent want more hours and income, virtually the same as in 1985. Overemployment is higher for women, whites, married, parents of young...

We use national labor force surveys from 1983 through 2011 to construct hours worked per person on the aggregate level and for different demographic groups for 18 European countries and the US. We find that Europeans work 19% fewer hours than US citizens. Differences in weeks worked and in the...