[flohofwoe]

I heard this "Protestant work ethic" idea applied to European countries too (for instance to the Dutch, or more generally Northern vs Southern European countries).

Yet the standard working week in the Netherlands is just 38 hours (per Wikipedia), and in Germany it could be argued that the economically most successful states have a catholic majority (although this shifted after WW2, for instance from Saxony (protestant) to Bavaria (catholic)). I think the idea of "Protestant work ethic" is mostly bullshit these days, and it's more about worker's rights.

[BlargMcLarg]

FWIW the 38 hours needs a lot of perspective. That average is mostly pulled down by individuals who feel pushed to work part time and individuals who are already making so much, taking an extra day off every week pays off more than getting most of the money taxed away and still being out of reach.

The above creates a dynamic where people will still work 40h to hit breakpoints, or will drop down as much as possible to stay at their current breakpoint (because working more isn't getting them there anyway). Doubly so because income tends to be a far bigger decider for things like housing and rent (highest expenses) than budgeting.