Ninety percent of companies that ran a structured four-day workweek trial kept the model afterward. That figure comes from the largest peer-reviewed study on the subject, published in Nature Human Behaviour in July 2025, covering 2,896 employees across 141 organizations in six countries. This page pulls together the current four-day workweek statistics on trial results, employer adoption, worker preferences, and the working-hours data behind the debate.
Four-Day Workweek Statistics: TL;DR
- 90% of the 141 companies in the Nature Human Behaviour trial kept the four-day workweek after six months.
- 22% of US employers offered a four-day option in 2024, up from 14% in 2022 — a 57% rise in two years.
- 81% of full-time workers say they prefer a four-day workweek, but 79% refuse any pay cut to get it.
- UK compressed-workweek contracts jumped from 509,000 to 748,000 in a single year, a 47% increase.
- Tokyo’s metropolitan government rolled out a four-day schedule for 160,000 workers in April 2025.
The four-day workweek moved from workplace experiment to peer-reviewed evidence in about three years. Trials consistently report lower burnout and higher job satisfaction with pay held flat, and most companies that test it keep it. The open question is not whether workers want it, but who absorbs the cost when hours drop without pay dropping.
What Did the Largest Four-Day Workweek Study Find?
The Nature Human Behaviour study, led by Boston College sociologists Wen Fan and Juliet Schor, tracked 2,896 employees at 141 organizations in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the UK, and the USA over a six-month income-preserving trial. Burnout fell 0.44 points on a 1–5 scale, job satisfaction rose 0.52 on a 0–10 scale, and mental and physical health both improved. A 12-month follow-up found the gains held, which weakens the “honeymoon effect” critique of earlier data.
| Metric | Result |
|---|---|
| Employees tracked | 2,896 across 141 organizations |
| Countries covered | 6 |
| Companies continuing after trial | 90% |
| Burnout reduction | 0.44 points (1–5 scale) |
| Job satisfaction increase | 0.52 points (0–10 scale) |
| Benefits sustained at | 12 months |
Source: Nature Human Behaviour, “Work time reduction via a 4-day workweek finds improvements in workers’ well-being,” July 2025
The UK’s earlier 2022 pilot of 70 companies and 3,300 workers pointed the same way. Boston College’s analysis recorded a 71% drop in burnout, a 57% fall in staff turnover, and a 90% continuation rate. Much of that pilot’s data informs discussions around remote work productivity as well.
How Many Employers Offer a Four-Day Workweek?
US employer adoption reached 22% in 2024, up from 14% in 2022, based on the American Psychological Association’s Work in America Survey. About 80% of respondents said they would be happier and just as effective on a four-day schedule. Roughly 30% of large US companies are weighing four-day or 4.5-day schedules, and 40% of surveyed businesses plan to implement one.
| Adoption Metric | Figure | Period |
|---|---|---|
| US employers offering four-day option | 22% | 2024 |
| US employers offering four-day option | 14% | 2022 |
| Large US firms considering alternative schedules | 30% | 2024–25 |
| Businesses planning to implement | 40% | 2024 |
| Businesses reporting cost reductions | 66% | 2024–25 |
| UK firms rating transition smooth | 49% | 2024–25 |
Source: APA Work in America Survey 2024; PassiveSecrets, “4-Day Work Week Statistics 2026,” January 2026
Four-Day Workweek Employee Preferences
81% of full-time workers prefer a four-day workweek, and 89% of that group say they would make sacrifices for it. The sacrifice most are willing to make is longer daily hours, not lower pay. Only 21% would accept a pay cut, and of those, 51% would accept 5% or less. On-site workers are the most motivated: 44% would change jobs to get a four-day week.
| Preference | Share of Workers |
|---|---|
| Prefer a four-day workweek | 81% |
| Willing to make sacrifices for it | 89% of those |
| Willing to work longer daily hours | 54% |
| Would change jobs for it (on-site staff) | 44% |
| Would accept a pay cut | 21% |
| Expect mental health benefits | 79% |
Source: PassiveSecrets, “4-Day Work Week Statistics 2026,” January 2026; HRStacks, November 2025
The 79% who won’t take a pay cut set the floor for private-sector programs. Compressed schedules that pack 40 hours into four days sidestep the issue, while reduced-hours models at full pay depend on employers absorbing the cost. Focus and scheduling matter here too, which ties into workplace distraction data on how hours actually get used.
Four-Day Workweek Trial Results by Company
Company trials have produced consistent, if self-selected, results. Microsoft Japan reported a 40% productivity gain and a 23% cut in electricity costs during its 2019 test, though that ran alongside shorter meetings and more async work. New Zealand’s Perpetual Guardian made its four-day week permanent after a six-week trial. Spain’s municipal pilots recorded productivity gains for nearly half of participants.
| Trial / Company | Key Result |
|---|---|
| UK pilot (2022) | 71% burnout drop, 57% lower turnover |
| Microsoft Japan (2019) | 40% productivity gain, 23% lower electricity cost |
| Perpetual Guardian, NZ (2018) | Productivity held; made permanent |
| Spain municipal pilots | Nearly half reported productivity gains |
| Cross-country analysis | ~67% self-reported burnout reduction |
Source: StealthAgents, June 2026; HRStacks, “Four-Day Workweek Statistics,” November 2025
The 90% continuation rate appears in both the UK pilot and the Nature study because they draw on overlapping populations from the 4 Day Week Global network. Both point to the same pattern from different angles: companies that run structured trials almost always keep the model. A clean home setup supports that shift, which is why work-from-home essentials matter for compressed schedules.
Working Hours by Country
Working hours vary sharply across countries, which shapes how a four-day week would land. Colombia logged 2,400 hours per worker in 2022, the highest in the OECD, while Germany recorded 1,340, the lowest. That gap of 1,060 hours a year is roughly 27 extra working weeks. Average US private nonfarm hours sat at 34.2 per week in August 2025, including part-timers.
| Country / Measure | Hours | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Colombia (OECD highest) | 2,400/year (46.3/week) | 2022 |
| Germany (OECD lowest) | 1,340/year (25.8/week) | 2022 |
| Colombia–Germany gap | 1,060/year (~27 weeks) | 2022 |
| Average London full-time worker | 37.7/week | Q1 2025 |
| Average US private nonfarm | 34.2/week | Aug 2025 |
Source: OECD; Bureau of Labor Statistics; Office for National Statistics via PassiveSecrets, January 2026
Iceland’s 2015–2019 trials pushed roughly 86% of its workforce onto reduced-hours arrangements. The evidence base still lacks a randomized controlled trial, since every study so far used self-selected companies. Those firms may start with healthier cultures, a caveat the Nature study’s own authors flag. Comparisons with US hybrid work trends and standing desk adoption show similar self-selection in flexible-work data.
FAQ
How many companies keep the four-day workweek after trials?
90% of companies that ran the Nature Human Behaviour six-month trial kept the four-day workweek. The same rate appeared in the 2022 UK pilot of 70 companies, per Boston College analysis.
How many employers offer a four-day workweek?
22% of US employers offered a four-day workweek in 2024, up from 14% in 2022, per the APA Work in America Survey. Another 40% of surveyed businesses plan to add one.
Do workers want a four-day workweek?
81% of full-time workers prefer a four-day workweek. But 79% refuse any pay cut, and 44% of on-site staff say they would change jobs to get the schedule.
Does the four-day workweek reduce productivity?
Trials show productivity holding or rising. Microsoft Japan reported a 40% gain in 2019, and the Nature study found output steady while burnout fell and satisfaction rose over six months.
Does the four-day workweek improve mental health?
Yes. The Nature study recorded improved mental and physical health and lower burnout, sustained at 12 months. 79% of employees expect mental health benefits from the schedule.
