Mexicans Work the Hardest — Harder, Even, Than Americans

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Tis true. A new study by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), when comparing¬† 29 industrialized nations, found that people in our neighbor to the south, Mexico, work the most hours both paid and unpaid. Belgium came in with the least hours of work and earliest retirement, and France wasn’t far behind. The USA was closer to Mexico…

The study was based on surveys in 26 OECD member countries plus China, India and South Africa.  Mexicans, it found, work an average of 10 hours a day at paid and unpaid labor including housekeeping, while Belgians work an average of 7 hours, actually one hour less than the OECD average. Belgians also take several weeks off a year, and retire by age 60. Mexicans work long hours for little to no pay and cannot  take much time off.  They do not retire at age 60 but keep on working into old age.

This is interesting to our real estate market for several reasons. One, a significant number of Mexicans participate in our home building industry. I have heard countless builders tell me how much they value their Mexican sub contractors. One even told me recently that the crime in Mexico has kept his subs home in Texas during the winter months — now if building would pick up, he’s got his subs 12 months a year.

Also, Mexicans continue to be a huge factor in the Texas real estate market and have help propped up our home sales.

Candy Evans, founder and publisher of CandysDirt.com, is one of the nation’s leading real estate reporters.

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