Productivity

From The Economist:

Americans are hard workers, but not necessarily the most productive workers, according to the Bureau of Labour Statistics. It has compared America's output per worker and output per hour with a clutch of other rich countries. It reckons that the average American worker produced about $90,000 of output in 2006, measured at purchasing-power parity. Only Norwegian workers, some of whom man oil-rigs, did better. But America's output per hour worked—just over $50—was less impressive. Employees in France, Belgium and the Netherlands were all able to squeeze more out of an hour of effort. In Norway, workers can churn out about $73-worth of goods and services in that time.

French workers more productive than American ones? Whoda thunkit?