Given that there are 52 weeks in a year, it is feasible to assume that the number of hours in a year would be calculated by multiplying 40 and 52 together. This would mean that there would be 2,080 work hours in a year, without taking into account any missed days.
We would need to remove any public holidays from this equation though and in the United States there are 11 days that could be classed as national holidays. These days are: New Years Day, the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. (the holiday is always the third Monday in January), Inauguration Day (observed in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia, once every four years) and Washington's Birthday (always taken as the third Monday in February). Other holidays are Memorial Day (the last Monday in May), July 4, American Independence Day, Labor Day (the first Monday in September) and Columbus Day (the second Monday in October). The final three holidays that are taken in the United States are Veterans Day (November 11), Thanksgiving Day (the fourth Thursday in November) and Christmas Day.
If all of these days were to fall on a week day then there would be 249 week days every four years (due to Inauguration Day) and 250 in the other years. 50 weeks (250 days broken down into 5 day weeks) multiplied by 40 hours equals a total of 2,000 working hours in a year.
The eight hour day and the 40 hour week originated in Britain during the Industrial Revolution. Prior to this, longer hours and poor working conditions were in place, with child labor also an issue. The eight hour day came into being in the United States in 1937 thanks to the Fair Labor Standards Act.
We would need to remove any public holidays from this equation though and in the United States there are 11 days that could be classed as national holidays. These days are: New Years Day, the Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. (the holiday is always the third Monday in January), Inauguration Day (observed in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia, once every four years) and Washington's Birthday (always taken as the third Monday in February). Other holidays are Memorial Day (the last Monday in May), July 4, American Independence Day, Labor Day (the first Monday in September) and Columbus Day (the second Monday in October). The final three holidays that are taken in the United States are Veterans Day (November 11), Thanksgiving Day (the fourth Thursday in November) and Christmas Day.
If all of these days were to fall on a week day then there would be 249 week days every four years (due to Inauguration Day) and 250 in the other years. 50 weeks (250 days broken down into 5 day weeks) multiplied by 40 hours equals a total of 2,000 working hours in a year.
The eight hour day and the 40 hour week originated in Britain during the Industrial Revolution. Prior to this, longer hours and poor working conditions were in place, with child labor also an issue. The eight hour day came into being in the United States in 1937 thanks to the Fair Labor Standards Act.
