Construction’s Favorite Scapegoat: Laziness | For Construction Pros

DISCLAIMER: I do know that there are individuals who exist and are lazy, but….America is not that.

I recently saw an online asphalt-forum post that asked a simple and straightforward questions: “How many contractors were expecting to be shorthanded for the 2025 season?”

The responses were anything but simple and straightforward. What is technically a “yes” or “no” question, and the person who posted it didn’t mention anything related to government policy, including immigration, or deportation. Yet, somehow, everyone of the hundreds of people who responded to the post magically, and universally, understood there to be a subtext to the original question involving all of those topics.

Most consistently, people claimed that the recent changes in the status of undocumented workers, and the increase in ICE raids and deportations, would not effect their business. That was the dominant answers, however, rather than leaving it at that, many wanted to add in their belief that if there was any reason for someone to be short staffed, it was more due to the laziness of people, not wanting to work, or receiving government benefits, also because they are lazy, and that this profound laziness was the true scourge of the labor market. 

One lone, brave soul tried to explain there simply aren’t the numbers available in the unemployed American workforce to fill all the open jobs. He made the “mistake” of confronting one of the greatest myths in American contemporary society (as well as one of the most effective and weaponized tools of capitalism). Let me explain why I call this a myth, even though you know for a fact your nephew, cousin, son-in-law is a lazy SOB.

What The Facts Show: Top 10 

Data sourced from the Organization for Economic Co-cooperation and Development, 2023.

1. Mexico: 276 (8 hour workdays annually) = 2,207 hrs. (Avg. annual working hours per person)
2. Costa Rica: 271 = 2,171 hrs.
3. Chile: 244 = 1,953 hrs.
4. Greece: 237 = 1,897 hrs.
5. Israel: 235 = 1,880 hrs.
6. South Korea: 234 = 1,872 hrs.
7. Canada: 233 = 1,865 hrs.
8. Poland: 225 = 1,803 hrs.
9. United States: 225 = 1,799 hrs
10. Czechia: 221 = 1,766

While you might find it disappointing, somehow, that the United States lands at number 9 on this list, understand that our neighbors across the pond in the United Kingdom are working only 191 working days a year, more than an entire month less than Americans do. Even Japan, which is often characterized by western media to be a nation of workaholics who live under extremely high corporate expectations, only came in at 201 working days, more than three weeks less than American workers. Germany came in last on the list with 168 working days a year, meaning they work on average TWO MONTHS less than American workers. 

It might radicalize you to know that of all the developed nations on this list, the United States is the only one WITHOUT guaranteed, government mandated paid leave for private sector workers. Compare that with European Union workers who get a minimum of 4 WEEKS of paid time off a year as a requirement. What does this mean? It means Americans work far more hours than their closest counterparts in the international world, but Americans also have a LOWER standard of living. That phrase gets thrown around a lot, but it basically means, they work less but get more rewards per hour worked. They are paid more, they have better benefits, they have universal healthcare, they have retirement safety-nets, and, generally, pay less for the basic necessities of life.

America is not lazy. But perhaps, America is growing tired of working so much while getting so little in return. Not just low wages from employers, but the low standard of living they are surrounded by. Maybe America sees the way things could be, and is beginning to demand more. Maybe the “greatest country on earth” is prepared to truly claim that title for the twenty-first century. That’s something I know I’m ready for too. See you on the road!