Average Weekly Hours of All Employees, Total Private
AWHAETPLatest Value
Date: 2026-05-01
Data Count
243recordsData from FRED source
Basic Info
Country: US
Frequency: monthly
Source: FRED
Next Release
07/14 12:30 JSTPeriod: Jun
Trend Chart (Line)
Historical Trend Data
| Date | Value (hours) | MoM (Change) | YoY (Change) | 3-Month MA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-01 | 34.3 | 0.00% | +0.29% | 34.27 |
| 2026-04-01 | 34.3 | +0.29% | 0.00% | 34.27 |
| 2026-03-01 | 34.2 | -0.29% | 0.00% | 34.27 |
| 2026-02-01 | 34.3 | 0.00% | +0.29% | 34.27 |
| 2026-01-01 | 34.3 | +0.29% | +0.59% | 34.27 |
| 2025-12-01 | 34.2 | -0.29% | -0.29% | 34.23 |
| 2025-11-01 | 34.3 | +0.29% | 0.00% | 34.23 |
| 2025-10-01 | 34.2 | 0.00% | 0.00% | 34.2 |
| 2025-09-01 | 34.2 | 0.00% | -0.29% | 34.2 |
| 2025-08-01 | 34.2 | 0.00% | -0.29% | 34.2 |
| 2025-07-01 | 34.2 | 0.00% | 0.00% | 34.2 |
| 2025-06-01 | 34.2 | 0.00% | -0.29% | 34.23 |
| 2025-05-01 | 34.2 | -0.29% | -0.29% | 34.23 |
| 2025-04-01 | 34.3 | +0.29% | +0.29% | 34.23 |
| 2025-03-01 | 34.2 | 0.00% | -0.58% | 34.17 |
| 2025-02-01 | 34.2 | +0.29% | -0.58% | 34.2 |
| 2025-01-01 | 34.1 | -0.58% | -0.29% | 34.23 |
| 2024-12-01 | 34.3 | 0.00% | -0.29% | 34.27 |
| 2024-11-01 | 34.3 | +0.29% | -0.29% | 34.27 |
| 2024-10-01 | 34.2 | -0.29% | -0.29% | 34.27 |
| 2024-09-01 | 34.3 | 0.00% | -0.29% | 34.27 |
| 2024-08-01 | 34.3 | +0.29% | -0.29% | 34.27 |
| 2024-07-01 | 34.2 | -0.29% | -0.29% | 34.27 |
| 2024-06-01 | 34.3 | 0.00% | -0.29% | 34.27 |
| 2024-05-01 | 34.3 | +0.29% | -0.29% | 34.3 |
| 2024-04-01 | 34.2 | -0.58% | -0.58% | 34.33 |
| 2024-03-01 | 34.4 | 0.00% | 0.00% | 34.33 |
| 2024-02-01 | 34.4 | +0.58% | -0.29% | 34.33 |
| 2024-01-01 | 34.2 | -0.58% | -1.16% | 34.33 |
| 2023-12-01 | 34.4 | 0.00% | 0.00% | 34.37 |
| 2023-11-01 | 34.4 | +0.29% | -0.29% | 34.37 |
| 2023-10-01 | 34.3 | -0.29% | -0.87% | 34.37 |
| 2023-09-01 | 34.4 | 0.00% | -0.58% | 34.37 |
| 2023-08-01 | 34.4 | +0.29% | -0.29% | 34.37 |
| 2023-07-01 | 34.3 | -0.29% | -0.87% | 34.37 |
| 2023-06-01 | 34.4 | 0.00% | -0.58% | 34.4 |
| 2023-05-01 | 34.4 | 0.00% | -0.58% | 34.4 |
| 2023-04-01 | 34.4 | 0.00% | -0.58% | 34.43 |
| 2023-03-01 | 34.4 | -0.29% | -0.86% | 34.5 |
| 2023-02-01 | 34.5 | -0.29% | -0.58% | 34.5 |
| 2023-01-01 | 34.6 | +0.58% | +0.29% | 34.5 |
| 2022-12-01 | 34.4 | -0.29% | -1.43% | 34.5 |
| 2022-11-01 | 34.5 | -0.29% | -0.86% | 34.57 |
| 2022-10-01 | 34.6 | 0.00% | -0.29% | 34.57 |
| 2022-09-01 | 34.6 | +0.29% | -0.57% | 34.57 |
| 2022-08-01 | 34.5 | -0.29% | -0.86% | 34.57 |
| 2022-07-01 | 34.6 | 0.00% | -0.57% | 34.6 |
| 2022-06-01 | 34.6 | 0.00% | -0.57% | 34.6 |
| 2022-05-01 | 34.6 | 0.00% | -0.86% | 34.63 |
| 2022-04-01 | 34.6 | -0.29% | -0.86% | 34.67 |
| 2022-03-01 | 34.7 | 0.00% | -0.57% | 34.63 |
| 2022-02-01 | 34.7 | +0.58% | +0.29% | 34.7 |
| 2022-01-01 | 34.5 | -1.15% | -1.43% | 34.73 |
| 2021-12-01 | 34.9 | +0.29% | +0.29% | 34.8 |
| 2021-11-01 | 34.8 | +0.29% | 0.00% | 34.77 |
| 2021-10-01 | 34.7 | -0.29% | -0.29% | 34.77 |
| 2021-09-01 | 34.8 | 0.00% | 0.00% | 34.8 |
| 2021-08-01 | 34.8 | 0.00% | +0.29% | 34.8 |
| 2021-07-01 | 34.8 | 0.00% | +0.58% | 34.83 |
| 2021-06-01 | 34.8 | -0.29% | +0.58% | 34.87 |
About Indicator
Explanation
What is Average Weekly Hours (AWHAETP)?
Average Weekly Hours measures the average number of hours worked per week by employees in the US private non-farm sector. Adjustments in working hours serve as a leading indicator for layoffs and hiring.
Viewpoints on this Indicator
Even a 0.1-hour (6-minute) shift is significant as it reflects corporate adjustments to labor demand. Declines signal potential downturns, while increases suggest upcoming job growth.
Importance
MediumView Details
Deep Dive
Faced with falling demand, businesses trim working hours (reducing overtime) before implementing layoffs. Thus, working hours show early sensitivity to economic slowdowns.
Similarly, when demand recovers, employers ask existing staff to work overtime rather than immediately hiring new employees. A rise in weekly hours therefore precedes gains in payrolls.
Changes in working hours feed into the Aggregate Hours Index, directly impacting GDP, productivity calculations, and overall labor income trends.
Key Checkpoints in Data
Key Checkpoints
- Whether hours worked fell or rose compared to the prior month.
- If the 3-month moving average points to a persistent downward trend.
- How the manufacturing sector (highly sensitive to shifts) is behaving.
- Whether weekly hours diverge from Non-Farm Payrolls headcount growth.
- If declines are deep enough to signal impending rises in Unemployment.
Connection with Associated Indicators
Why Look at Associated Indicators Together
| Associated Indicator | Why to Look Together |
|---|---|
| Non-Farm Payrolls | To contrast headcounts with individual workloads, identifying how businesses adjust labor costs. |
| U-6 Unemployment Rate | To check if reduced hours are forcing workers into involuntary part-time status (raising U-6). |
One-Line Summary for Beginners
Average Weekly Hours tracks working times. Shortening hours show that companies are trimming labor costs, which can serve as an early warning sign of a slowing economy.
Last Fetched: 6/5/2026, 6:34:32 PM
Flow of Analysis: US Employment Situation
🔍1. Before (Leading)
Check these leading indicators a few days before to gauge expectations.
📊2. During (Core Values)
Check the headline and core figures at the moment of release.
⚡3. After (Market Reactions)
Track reactions in yields, currencies, and major stock indexes.