How Working Hours May Be a Recession Indicator, WSJ

Employees are actually working fewer hours as hiring booms, which could be a sign of incoming layoffsand a possible recession. The current average number of hours worked a week by privatesector employees in jobs like construction, retail and manufacturing have also dropped below the 2019 average. WSJ explains why economists look at the change in the number of hours people work and why this slowdown could be different as a result of the pandemic. 0:00 Hours worked 0:40 Why hours worked is a recession indicator 1:35 Biggest concerns right now 3:13 Todays data 4:10 Whats next News Explainers Some days the highspeed news cycle can bring more questions than answers. WSJs news explainers break down the day s biggest stories into bitesize pieces to help you make sense of the news. , Recession, Layoffs, WSJ