Finance & economics | Free exchange

Working from home and the US-Europe divide

Americans are no longer the rich world’s great office drones

Illustration of a desk with a computer on it and a deckchair next to it with the american flag on
Illustration: Álvaro Bernis

When it comes to economic growth, America comfortably beats Europe. Many factors have fed America’s outperformance, from tech innovation to vast oil reserves. But there is one explanation that seems almost too simplistic: that “Americans just work harder”, as the head of Norway’s oil fund put it in an interview with the Financial Times on April 24th.

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This article appeared in the Finance & economics section of the print edition under the headline “America v Europe”

From the May 4th 2024 edition

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