Main menu For students For teachers Explore our subjects Student events & courses

Explore

More for students
Sign in

Teaching Economics

In the News

Is there an economic case for a four-day working week?

Graham Watson

2nd February 2019

Share this content:

Will Stronge, the co-director of Autonomy, a think tank focusing on the future of work has written a thoughtful piece here about the possibility of a shorter four-day working week.

He argues that for the sake of productivity, the external costs of work-related stress and the poor work-life balance that many people experience, there's a case for a four-day working week. Such an argument was originally propounded in Keynes' essay "Economic Possibilities for Our Grandchildren" published in 1930, and is none the worse for that.

Caroline Lucas from the Green Party lends her support (below) to the idea.

Share this content:

Graham Watson

Graham Watson has taught Economics for over twenty years. He contributes to Tutor2U, reads voraciously and is interested in all aspects of Teaching and Learning.

You might also like

In the News Teaching Activity – What key economic challenges will a new PM face? (June 2026)

29th June 2026

In the News Teaching Activity – How has the vote to Brexit 10 years ago affected the economy? (June 2026)

15th June 2026

In the News Teaching Activity – Does the childcare industry need regulating to reduce hidden costs to parents? (June 2026)

4th June 2026

Micro and Macro Case Study: Norway and Climate Change

Topical case studies

Macro Case Study: Germany and Energy

Topical case studies

In the News Teaching Activity – What is happening to the number of NEETS in the UK (Mar 2026)

12th March 2026

In the News Teaching Activity – Is the UK economy becoming more productive? (Feb 2026)

19th February 2026

In the News Teaching Activity – Can the job of a CEO be shared successfully? (Jan 2026)

19th January 2026