Much ink has been spilled over the relative extent to which Americans and Europeans work (or don’t). Commentary tends towards the judgmental and membership in one of two schools:
• The work ethic school describes longer American working hours in glowing terms, as proof of industry, and disparages shorter European working hours as evidence of laziness.
• The public choice school is less judgmental or moralizing, and explains shorter European working hours as a collective choice or tradeoff that optimizes utility: Europeans forego a nice second car in order to spend more time with the kids.

A recent article from Fortune caught my eye. The article summarizes academic research by Richard Freeman, Ronald Schettkat, and Richard Rogerson. The gist of the article is that Americans and Europeans actually work about the same amount. The difference is that Americans work in the marketplace, whereas Europeans work at home. For example, Americans pay someone to mow the garden lawn, whereas Europeans do lawn mowing themselves. Similarly, Europeans prepare meals in their home kitchen, whereas Americans go to (fast food) restaurants.

I’m not convinced by the explanatory power of this view. Specifically, I’m skeptical whether it holds up at high or low levels of income or wealth.

But I do find compelling observations of big differences between Europe and America in service-sector employment, especially entry-level, low-wage jobs. Friends and colleagues report anecdotes to me that support this. A couple of French friends expressed amazement at the presence of baggers in American supermarkets. Likewise, an American couple expressed dismay at the scarcity of child care in Europe (despite heralded crèche arrangements).