By : Sanad El-Naser
Jordan Daily – Jordan’s recent debate over the length of the working week has attracted significant public attention. Some voices have suggested extending the workweek to six days in order to increase economic output. Among those raising this perspective are business leader Dr. Talal Abu-Ghazaleh and economist Mufleh Aqel, who argue that longer working hours could improve productivity and support economic growth. Others, meanwhile, advocate adopting a four-day model inspired by international experiments. Yet this discussion, while important, focuses on the wrong variable. The central issue is not the number of working days, but the productivity of the Jordanian economy.
The assumption behind a longer workweek is straightforward: more hours should produce more output. However, economic productivity does not increase automatically with time spent at work. Output depends on how labour is organised, the level of technology used, and the efficiency of institutions. In many cases, extending working hours simply increases operational costs such as electricity, transportation, and administrative expenses, without generating proportional economic value.
At the same time, the growing international interest in the four-day workweek should also be interpreted carefully. Trials in countries such as the United Kingdom and Japan have shown improvements in employee well-being, reduced burnout, and in some sectors even stable or improved productivity. Yet these outcomes are closely linked to the structure of those economies. They are characterised by high capital intensity, digitalised services, and knowledge-based employment, where productivity depends largely on concentration and cognitive performance rather than physical presence.
Jordan’s labour market differs substantially. A significant proportion of employment is concentrated in services, retail trade, and public administration. In these sectors, availability and continuity of service are essential. A sudden reduction in working days, without organisational and administrative reform, could therefore reduce service accessibility, lower income for hourly workers, and place additional pressure on already overstretched public institutions.
For this reason, neither a universal six-day workweek nor an immediate transition to a four-day model provides a comprehensive solution. The country’s primary economic challenge is structural productivity. Jordan faces persistent unemployment, low labour productivity, administrative inefficiencies, and a concentration of activity in relatively low-value-added sectors. Changing the weekly schedule does little to address these constraints. Extending working hours does not solve productivity problems, and reducing them without reform does not solve them either. The issue lies in how work is organised and utilised. Improving productivity requires better management practices, technological adoption, and institutional efficiency.
To promote sustainable economic growth, attention should be given to the Economic Modernization Vision (EMV), as outlined by His Majesty King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein. The EMV provides a more viable path forward and is particularly relevant here. Instead of concentrating on working hours, it focuses on improving the investment environment, lowering regulatory hurdles, and fostering private-sector activity. By drawing investment into higher-value sectors and enhancing the business environment, it tackles the underlying causes of unemployment and low productivity more effectively than simply changing the work calendar.
Workweek reform, if pursued, should therefore be gradual and sector-specific. Certain administrative and knowledge-based functions could incorporate structured hybrid workdays in which tasks not requiring physical presence are completed remotely. Such an approach would maintain service availability while improving employee well-being, reducing congestion, and lowering operational costs.
Jordan currently stands at an important economic juncture. The question is not whether reform is needed, but how it should be implemented. Increasing the number of workdays risks placing additional pressure on households already facing high living costs and modest wages, while an unplanned reduction risks service disruption. Policy must balance efficiency with social stability.
Ultimately, economic growth won’t be achieved by simply increasing or decreasing workdays. Jordan should consider a flexible, sector-specific strategy. Some administrative and knowledge-based roles especially within public institutions could adopt a hybrid schedule, where tasks that don’t require physical presence are done remotely. This approach could improve employee well-being, cut congestion, reduce commuting costs, and lower operational expenses without affecting the quality of public services.
Sanad El-Naser, is currently an MSc student in Global Political Economy at King’s College London.
