Where Did the 15-Hour Work Week Go?

In 1930, the great economist John Maynard Keynes predicted that by the end of the century, technological progress would allow us to work just 15 hours a week. The world expected a utopia where work would take up minimal space in life, freeing time for personal hobbies and creativity. But what actually happened? Technology did evolve, yet instead of a 15-hour work week, we’re working even more, and life increasingly feels like an endless race.

In 1930, the great economist John Maynard Keynes predicted that by the end of the century, technological progress would allow us to work just 15 hours a week. The world expected a utopia where work would take up minimal space in life, freeing time for personal hobbies and creativity. But what actually happened? Technology did evolve, yet instead of a 15-hour work week, we’re working even more, and life increasingly feels like an endless race.

Why Didn't It Happen?

If you look at today’s world, you’ll see that automation has reached incredible heights. Machines and algorithms can perform tasks that used to take days and weeks of human labor. However, instead of reducing work hours, the opposite occurred — a rise in employment in sectors that often seem, to put it mildly, pointless.

Keynes didn’t foresee the powerful consumption boom that swept the world after World War II. People were given the option to choose between fewer work hours and acquiring more goods and services. And most chose the latter. At first glance, this seems reasonable — after all, who would refuse new iPhones, trendy sneakers, or sushi delivery? But this explanation only scratches the surface.

The Rise of "Pointless" Professions

Over the past century, we’ve seen a decline in jobs in traditional sectors: industry, agriculture, and domestic services. These activities were automated, just as Keynes predicted. But where did this "saved" workforce go? We didn’t see a massive reduction in work hours. Instead, new industries emerged, not directly tied to the production of anything essential for life.

Employment reports from the U.S. between 1910 and 2000 show that the number of people employed in services, management, office work, and sales has tripled! Financial services, marketing, HR, PR, corporate law — all these sectors have ballooned to incredible proportions. And the problem isn’t that they exist, but that many people working in these sectors don’t see meaning in their work. It seems pointless to them. Working 40-plus hours a week in roles that bring no personal satisfaction and provide no tangible benefit to society — that’s the "moral harm" scholars speak of.

Work for Work’s Sake

Modern society revolves around the idea of productivity. We are so used to working that even when technology offers to lighten the load, we are given new tasks. There are pointless meetings, reports, and projects that aren’t needed but are expected.

We are surrounded by services that exist solely to support other services. Some people work to create unnecessary products, others to sell or service them. This isn’t just a structural economic problem — it challenges our understanding of the meaning of work.

Why Do We Like It?

It seems that, on some level, society has already accepted this paradoxical reality. Many of us are so deeply immersed in work that we don’t realize it has become an end in itself. There are plenty of justifications: earning a living, status, fear of losing a job, wanting to be useful. But if you think about it, can this situation be sustainable in the long run?

Utopia of the Future — Myth or Reality?

Once, Keynes predicted a bright future where technology would free people from routine labor. But utopia never came. And maybe the main question is, do we even want it? Modern employment systems are tied to consumption and the desire to own new things, not to reducing work hours. It turns out we’ve chosen extra work instead of gaining freedom and enjoying life.

Technology has given us all the tools to reduce working hours. The only question is, are we ready to give up pointless jobs and truly free ourselves from unnecessary work?