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Construction workers now work fewer hours a week than they did 20 years ago, according to new research.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published its latest Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE) which shows that staff in the construction sector, who traditionally work the longest hours in the UK, now enjoy a similar working week to manufacturing employees.
On average, construction workers now average 41.2 hours a week compared to 43.1 hours in 1992. However, the report also revealed that crane operators work more hours than any other profession in the UK, with crane drivers averaging 52.8 hours a week.
Overall, full-time employees in the UK work for the third-longest amount of time in the EU, behind only those in Austria and Greece.
Nigel Meager, director of the Institute for Employment Studies, claimed that many workers are forced to work longer hours to make ends meet.
He said: "Previous evidence has shown that this reflects a culture of systematic overtime in lower skilled manual and driving jobs - partly driven by low hourly pay rates: people need the overtime to achieve a decent wage - as well as the UK's opt-out from the EU Working Time Regulations."
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