Iceland seems to be moving towards a universal 4-day week. According to a study published on Friday, Iceland's economy has outperformed most European economies by introducing a shorter working week across the country without reducing wages.

From 2020 to 2022, 51% of the country's workers were found to have accepted the offer of a shorter working week, including a four-day working week. This figure is currently even higher.

Iceland has not only outperformed many European countries in terms of economic growth, but also has one of the lowest unemployment rates on the island. In 2023, the Icelandic economy is expected to grow by around 5%, compared to 2% between 2006 and 2015.

Two experiments have already been carried out in Iceland (2015-2019), where public sector workers worked 35-36 hours per week without a pay cut. Many of the participants in the experiment had previously worked 40 hours a week.

The experiments involved 2 500 people, or more than 1% of the Icelandic population working at the time. They found that work productivity remained the same or increased, and that workers felt less stress and burnout, and had more time for personal life. As a result of the trials, Icelandic trade unions agreed to reduce working hours for tens of thousands of their members across the country.