How much notice do workers get of their schedules?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics found 59% of US wage and salary workers knew their schedule four weeks or more in advance in 2024 and 2025, while 9% learned it one day or less ahead. Among Los Angeles County fast food workers surveyed by the Shift Project, only 41% received at least two weeks of notice.

How common are on-call and irregular schedules?

The Federal Reserve found 16% of US workers had schedules that varied with their employer's needs in 2025. In Australia, 17% of employees had no guaranteed minimum hours in August 2025, according to the ABS. Among Los Angeles County fast food workers, the Shift Project found 40% had worked at least one on-call shift in the prior month.

What do fair workweek laws require?

Fair workweek laws generally require about two weeks of advance notice, extra pay for employer changes and rest between shifts. Seattle and Oregon require schedules 14 days ahead for large retail and food service employers, Oregon requires time and a half for shifts within 10 hours of the last one, and Chicago requires 1 hour of predictability pay for changes within 14 days.

How many people work part time because they cannot get more hours?

The Bureau of Labor Statistics counted 4.8 million people in the US working part time for economic reasons in October 2026. In the EU, Eurostat found 25.7% of male and 17.1% of female part-time workers aged 25 to 64 could not find a full-time job in 2024.

How widely is scheduling software used?

Deputy reported in 2025 that 82% of large retailers and logistics companies use AI-driven scheduling. Logile's 2025 survey of US retail associates found 74% open to automated, traffic-based scheduling tools, and 77% said poor scheduling regularly costs their store sales.

Statistics · 53 sourced figures

Workforce Scheduling Statistics 2026

This page collects figures on how work schedules are set and how predictable they are: shift, night and weekend work, irregular and on-call schedules, advance notice, hours, overtime and involuntary part-time work, fair workweek laws, and the use of scheduling software. US figures come from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the Federal Reserve and the Shift Project at Harvard Kennedy School; European figures from Eurostat; and Australian and Canadian figures from their national statistics offices. Most data describe 2024 to 2026. An Economic Policy Institute analysis from 2015, an International Labour Organization estimate from 2023 and a Deputy survey from 2023 are older and labeled by year.

By the KeenVerdict research desk · Updated November 6, 2026 · 53 figures from 21 sources

The short answer

15% of US wage and salary workers usually work non-daytime hours and 9% learn their schedule one day or less in advance, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics for 2024 and 2025. The Federal Reserve found 16% of US workers had schedules that varied with their employer's needs in 2025, Eurostat counts 21.3% of EU workers on weekends, and fair workweek laws in Seattle, Oregon and Chicago require 14 days of schedule notice.

Key figures

Fifteen percent15% of US wage and salary workers usually worked a non-daytime schedule in 2024 and 2025, including 5% on evening shifts and 3% on night shifts.U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
21.3%21.3% of employed people aged 15 to 64 in the EU usually worked on weekends in 2025.Eurostat
16 percent16% of US workers had a work schedule that varied based on their employer's needs in 2025, according to the Federal Reserve's Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking.Federal Reserve Board
40%40% of fast food workers in Los Angeles County worked at least one on-call shift in the prior month, compared with 30% of retail workers, in Shift Project surveys from 2021 to 2025.The Shift Project, Harvard Kennedy School
59 percent59% of US wage and salary workers knew their work schedule four weeks or more in advance in 2024 and 2025, while 9% learned it one day or less ahead.U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
4.8 million4.8 million people in the US were employed part time for economic reasons in October 2026, up 339,000 from September; they wanted full-time work but had reduced hours or could not find it.U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
14 daysSeattle's Secure Scheduling Ordinance requires covered employers to post work schedules at least 14 days in advance.Seattle Office of Labor Standards
82%82% of large retailers and logistics companies used AI-driven scheduling in 2025, according to Deputy's Big Shift report, and 45% of their workers reported better work-life balance as a result.Deputy

Our reading of the data

Most people still work regular daytime hours, but nonstandard schedules are common in the industries that rely most on hourly staff. The Bureau of Labor Statistics found 15% of US wage and salary workers on non-daytime schedules in 2024 and 2025, rising to 40% in leisure and hospitality. In the EU, Eurostat counts 21.3% of employed people working weekends in 2025 and 47.6% of service and sales workers.

Unpredictability is harder to measure, yet separate surveys land close together. The Federal Reserve found 16% of US workers had schedules that varied with their employer's needs in 2025, the Australian Bureau of Statistics found 17% of employees had no guaranteed minimum hours, and Statistics Canada found 58.9% of employees had their schedule set entirely by the employer. In Los Angeles County fast food, the Shift Project found 40% had worked an on-call shift and 70% had a last-minute change in a single month.

Notice is adequate for most workers but very short for some. The Bureau of Labor Statistics found 59% of US workers know their schedule four weeks ahead, while 9% learn it a day or less in advance, rising to 28% in construction jobs where employers set the hours. Fair workweek laws in Seattle, Oregon and Chicago set a two-week standard. In Los Angeles, fast food workers, who are not covered by the city's retail ordinance, were more likely than covered retail workers to get under two weeks of notice: 59% against 46%.

Hours tell a story of underuse alongside overwork. The BLS counted 4.8 million Americans working part time for economic reasons in October 2026, and Homebase timesheets show small business hours down 3.1% from a year earlier. At the same time, 31% of employed Australians usually work overtime and the ILO estimates more than a third of workers globally exceed 48 hours a week. Scheduling software is now standard at large employers: Deputy reports 82% of large retailers and logistics firms use AI-driven scheduling, and Logile found 74% of retail associates open to automated scheduling.

Shift work, nights and weekends

1.Fifteen percent
15% of US wage and salary workers usually worked a non-daytime schedule in 2024 and 2025, including 5% on evening shifts and 3% on night shifts.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Job Flexibilities and Work Schedules, 2024-2025 Data from the American Time Use Survey (Sep 2026)
Source quote
Fifteen percent of workers usually worked a non-daytime schedule, including 5 percent of workers who worked evenings and 3 percent who worked nights.
2.40 percent
40% of US workers in leisure and hospitality worked a non-daytime schedule in 2024 and 2025, the highest share of any industry, ahead of transportation and utilities at 25%.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Job Flexibilities and Work Schedules, 2024-2025 Data from the American Time Use Survey (Sep 2026)
Source quote
Workers employed in the leisure and hospitality industry (40 percent), transportation and utilities industry (25 percent), and wholesale and retail trade industry (20 percent) were more likely to work a non-daytime schedule than workers in other industries.
3.8 percent
68% of US wage and salary workers usually worked Monday through Friday in 2024 and 2025, while 8% usually worked on both Saturday and Sunday.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Job Flexibilities and Work Schedules, 2024-2025 Data from the American Time Use Survey (Sep 2026)
Source quote
Sixty-eight percent of wage and salary workers usually worked Monday through Friday, and 8 percent of workers usually worked on Saturday and Sunday.
4.21.3%
21.3% of employed people aged 15 to 64 in the EU usually worked on weekends in 2025.
Eurostat, 21% of employed people worked on weekends in 2025 (May 2026)
Source quote
In 2025, 21.3% of employed people in the EU aged 15-64 years old usually worked during weekends.
5.47.6%
47.6% of service and sales workers in the EU usually worked weekends in 2025, the highest share of any occupation group.
Eurostat, 21% of employed people worked on weekends in 2025 (May 2026)
Source quote
Working on weekends was more common among service and sales workers (47.6%), skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers (47.2%) and people with elementary occupations (25.7%).
6.18.5%
18.5% of EU employees usually worked weekends in 2025, compared with 45.8% of self-employed people who have employees.
Eurostat, 21% of employed people worked on weekends in 2025 (May 2026)
Source quote
Only 18.5% of employees usually worked during weekends. By contrast, the share was higher among self-employed people: 45.8% for those with employees (employers) and 35.9% for those without employees (own-account workers), as well as 45.1% among contributing family workers.
7.50%
50% of fast food workers in Los Angeles County worked at least one "clopening", a closing shift followed by an opening shift, in the prior month, in Shift Project surveys from 2021 to 2025.
The Shift Project, Harvard Kennedy School, Unpredictable and Unstable: Fast Food Jobs in Los Angeles (Jan 2026)
Source quote
50% reported working consecutive closing then opening shifts in the prior month, referred to as “clopening.”

Chart

Employees who usually work weekends, highest and lowest EU countries, 2025

Employees aged 15 to 64 who usually work on Saturday or Sunday, EU labour force survey, 2025.

Greece31.5%
Cyprus31.3%
Malta29.2%
Hungary6.2%
Poland4.2%
Lithuania3%

Source: Eurostat, 21% of employed people worked on weekends in 2025

Irregular, variable and on-call schedules

8.16 percent
16% of US workers had a work schedule that varied based on their employer's needs in 2025, according to the Federal Reserve's Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking.
Federal Reserve Board, Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2025 (May 2026)
Source quote
However, 16 percent had a work schedule that varied based on their employer’s needs.
9.10 percent
10% of US workers had a schedule that varied at their own request in 2025, fewer than the 16% whose schedule varied at the employer's request.
Federal Reserve Board, Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2025 (May 2026)
Source quote
10 percent had a schedule that varied at their own request.
10.17%
17% of Australian employees did not usually work the same number of hours each week in August 2025, about 2.0 million people.
Australian Bureau of Statistics, Working arrangements, August 2025 (Dec 2025)
Source quote
17% of employees did not usually work the same number of hours each week (2.0 million).
11.17%
17% of Australian employees, about 2.1 million, had no guaranteed minimum number of hours each week in August 2025.
Australian Bureau of Statistics, Working arrangements, August 2025 (Dec 2025)
Source quote
17% of employees did not have a guaranteed minimum number of hours each week (2.1 million).
12.10 percent
About 10% of the US workforce worked irregular or on-call shift times, according to a 2015 Economic Policy Institute analysis of General Social Survey data, which the authors call a likely undercount.
Economic Policy Institute, Irregular Work Scheduling and Its Consequences (Briefing Paper #394) (Apr 2015)
Source quote
About 10 percent of the workforce is assigned to irregular and on-call work shift times and this figure is likely low.
13.17 percent
About 17% of the US workforce had unstable shift schedules once split and rotating shifts are added, in the same 2015 Economic Policy Institute analysis.
Economic Policy Institute, Irregular Work Scheduling and Its Consequences (Briefing Paper #394) (Apr 2015)
Source quote
Add to this the roughly 7 percent of the employed who work split or rotating shifts and there are about 17 percent of the workforce with unstable work shift schedules.
14.40%
40% of fast food workers in Los Angeles County worked at least one on-call shift in the prior month, compared with 30% of retail workers, in Shift Project surveys from 2021 to 2025.
The Shift Project, Harvard Kennedy School, Unpredictable and Unstable: Fast Food Jobs in Los Angeles (Jan 2026)
Source quote
On top of receiving short notice, 40% of fast food workers report working at least one on-call shift in the prior month, versus 30% of retail workers.
15.27%
27% of Los Angeles County fast food workers had at least one shift canceled in the past month, compared with 21% of retail workers.
The Shift Project, Harvard Kennedy School, Unpredictable and Unstable: Fast Food Jobs in Los Angeles (Jan 2026)
Source quote
Similarly, 27% of fast food workers report having at least one shift canceled in the past month, compared with 21% of retail workers.
16.70%
70% of Los Angeles County fast food workers experienced a last-minute change to the timing or length of a shift, compared with 62% of retail workers.
The Shift Project, Harvard Kennedy School, Unpredictable and Unstable: Fast Food Jobs in Los Angeles (Jan 2026)
Source quote
More than two thirds of fast food workers (70%) experience a last -minute change in the timing or duration of a shift, compared with 62% of retail workers.
17.58.9%
58.9% of employees in Canada had their schedules set by their employer in 2024 and 2025, and only 6.3% set their own hours entirely.
Statistics Canada, Canadian Survey on Working Conditions, 2024-2025 (Jan 2026)
Source quote
In 2024-2025, the majority (58.9%) of employees in Canada had their schedules set by their employer and 8.9% could choose between different fixed schedules.
18.Thirty-six percent
36% of US wage and salary workers had no flexible schedule and an employer that set their schedule without their input in 2024 and 2025.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Job Flexibilities and Work Schedules, 2024-2025 Data from the American Time Use Survey (Sep 2026)
Source quote
Thirty-six percent of wage and salary workers did not have a flexible work schedule and had employers who decided their schedule without their input.

Chart

Who sets the schedule: employees in Canada, 2024-2025

Employees in Canada, Canadian Survey on Working Conditions, 2024 to 2025.

Set by employer58.9%
Adapt within limits26.2%
Choose among fixed schedules8.9%
Set own hours entirely6.3%

Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Survey on Working Conditions, 2024-2025

Advance notice and schedule flexibility

19.59 percent
59% of US wage and salary workers knew their work schedule four weeks or more in advance in 2024 and 2025, while 9% learned it one day or less ahead.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Job Flexibilities and Work Schedules, 2024-2025 Data from the American Time Use Survey (Sep 2026)
Source quote
Among all wage and salary workers, 59 percent knew their work schedule four weeks or more in advance, and 9 percent learned their work schedule 1 day or less in advance.
20.12 percent
12% of male US wage and salary workers learned their schedule one day or less in advance in 2024 and 2025, twice the 6% rate for women.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Job Flexibilities and Work Schedules, 2024-2025 Data from the American Time Use Survey (Sep 2026)
Source quote
Men were twice as likely as women to learn their work schedule 1 day or less in advance--12 percent, compared with 6 percent.
21.28 percent
28% of US construction and extraction workers whose employer sets their schedule learned it one day or less in advance in 2024 and 2025.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Job Flexibilities and Work Schedules, 2024-2025 Data from the American Time Use Survey (Sep 2026)
Source quote
Of these workers, 28 percent of those in construction and extraction occupations learned their work schedule 1 day or less in advance.
22.57 percent
57% of US workers had a flexible schedule that let them vary when they started and ended work in 2024 and 2025.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Job Flexibilities and Work Schedules, 2024-2025 Data from the American Time Use Survey (Sep 2026)
Source quote
In 2024-25, 57 percent of workers had a flexible schedule in which they could vary the times they began and ended work, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.
23.41%
41% of fast food workers in Los Angeles County received at least two weeks of advance notice of their schedules, in Shift Project surveys from 2021 to 2025.
The Shift Project, Harvard Kennedy School, Unpredictable and Unstable: Fast Food Jobs in Los Angeles (Jan 2026)
Source quote
Fewer than half (41%) of workers receive at least 2 weeks’ advance notice of their work schedules.
24.Fifty-nine percent
59% of Los Angeles County fast food workers received less than two weeks of notice of their schedules, compared with 46% of retail workers covered by the city's Fair Workweek Ordinance.
The Shift Project, Harvard Kennedy School, Unpredictable and Unstable: Fast Food Jobs in Los Angeles (Jan 2026)
Source quote
Fifty-nine percent of fast food workers receive less than two weeks’ advance notice of their schedules, compared with 46% of retail workers.
25.80%
80% of US retail store workers surveyed by Logile in 2025 said unpredictable schedules and short staffing add stress to their jobs.
Logile, 77% of Retail Workers Say Labor Planning Gaps Are Hurting Store Performance, Logile Survey Finds (May 2025)
Source quote
80% say unpredictable schedules and short-staffing add stress to their jobs, with 82% feeling regularly overwhelmed at work.

Hours, overtime and part-time work

26.4.8 million
4.8 million people in the US were employed part time for economic reasons in October 2026, up 339,000 from September; they wanted full-time work but had reduced hours or could not find it.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Employment Situation, October 2026 (Nov 2026)
Source quote
The number of people employed part time for economic reasons increased by 339,000 to 4.8 million in October.
27.34.4 hours
The average workweek for all employees on US private nonfarm payrolls was 34.4 hours in October 2026.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Employment Situation, October 2026 (Nov 2026)
Source quote
The average workweek for all employees on private nonfarm payrolls remained at 34.4 hours in October.
28.3.1 hours
US manufacturing employees averaged 3.1 hours of overtime a week in October 2026, within a 40.5-hour average workweek.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, The Employment Situation, October 2026 (Nov 2026)
Source quote
In manufacturing, the average workweek was unchanged at 40.5 hours, and overtime edged up by 0.1 hour to 3.1 hours.
29.35.9 hours
EU workers aged 20 to 64 averaged 35.9 actual hours a week in their main job in 2025, down from 36.9 hours in 2015.
Eurostat, Average work week nearly 36 hours in the EU in 2025 (May 2026)
Source quote
In 2025, the actual weekly working hours of EU full-time and part-time workers aged 20-64 in their main job averaged 35.9 hours, down from 36.9 hours in 2015.
30.5.8%
5.8% of employed people in the EU worked 50 hours or more in their main job in the survey week in 2025.
Eurostat, Actual and usual hours of work (Statistics Explained) (May 2026)
Source quote
5.8% worked 50 hours or more per week
31.17.1%
17.1% of employed people aged 20 to 64 in the EU worked part time in 2024, down slightly from 17.8% in 2015.
Eurostat, Part-time and full-time employment, statistics (Statistics Explained) (Sep 2025)
Source quote
The share of part-time workers aged 20-64 remained broadly stable over the past decade, with a slight decline from 17.8% in 2015 to 17.1% in 2024 (see Figure 1).
32.25.7%
25.7% of male part-time workers aged 25 to 64 in the EU said they worked part time because they could not find a full-time job in 2024, compared with 17.1% of women.
Eurostat, Part-time and full-time employment, statistics (Statistics Explained) (Sep 2025)
Source quote
no full-time job found (17.1% for women, 25.7% for men)
33.31%
31% of employed people in Australia usually worked extra hours or overtime in August 2025, and 30% of employees had an agreement to work flexible hours.
Australian Bureau of Statistics, Working arrangements, August 2025 (Dec 2025)
Source quote
In August 2025 there were 30% of employees that had an agreement to work flexible hours and 31% of employed people usually worked extra hours or overtime.
34.More than one-third
More than one-third of workers worldwide regularly work more than 48 hours a week, according to the International Labour Organization's 2023 report on working time, while one-fifth work fewer than 35 hours.
International Labour Organization, Working time and work-life balance around the world (Jan 2023)
Source quote
More than one-third of all workers are regularly working more than 48 hours per week, while a fifth of the global workforce is working short (part-time) hours of less than 35 per week.
35.35%
35% of fast food workers in Los Angeles County were involuntarily part time, compared with 22% of retail workers, in Shift Project surveys from 2021 to 2025.
The Shift Project, Harvard Kennedy School, Unpredictable and Unstable: Fast Food Jobs in Los Angeles (Jan 2026)
Source quote
More than one third (35%) of fast food workers are involuntarily part-time, compared to just 22% of retail workers.
36.68%
68% of fast food workers surveyed in Los Angeles County wanted to work more hours than they typically receive.
The Shift Project, Harvard Kennedy School, Unpredictable and Unstable: Fast Food Jobs in Los Angeles (Jan 2026)
Source quote
Most workers we surveyed (68%) reported a desire to work more hours than they typically receive.
37.17.0%
17.0% of workers in Canada did unpaid work in their free time, outside their scheduled hours, several times a month in 2024 and 2025.
Statistics Canada, Canadian Survey on Working Conditions, 2024-2025 (Jan 2026)
Source quote
17.0% reported doing unpaid work in their free time several times a month—that is, at times they were not originally scheduled to work.

Fair workweek and predictive scheduling laws

38.14 days
Seattle's Secure Scheduling Ordinance requires covered employers to post work schedules at least 14 days in advance.
Seattle Office of Labor Standards, Secure Scheduling Ordinance
Source quote
Post work schedules at least 14 days in advance, and respect employees’ right to decline any hours not on originally posted schedules.
39.500+
Seattle's ordinance, in effect since July 1, 2017, covers hourly employees at retail and food service businesses with 500 or more employees worldwide.
Seattle Office of Labor Standards, Secure Scheduling Ordinance
Source quote
Covers hourly employees at retail and food services establishments with 500+ employees worldwide.
40.14 calendar days
Oregon's predictive scheduling law requires large retail, hospitality and food service employers to give workers a written schedule at least 14 calendar days in advance.
Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries, Predictive Scheduling
Source quote
Your employer must give you a work schedule in writing at least 14 calendar days in advance for the first day on the schedule.
41.10 hours
Oregon employers must pay time and a half when they schedule a worker for a shift within 10 hours of the previous one.
Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries, Predictive Scheduling
Source quote
If you are scheduled for a back-to-back shift within 10 hours, your employer must pay you time-and-a-half your normal pay rate.
42.$33.85/hour
Chicago's Fair Workweek Ordinance covers employers with at least 100 employees globally and workers earning up to $33.85 an hour or $64,945.55 a year.
City of Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, Fair Workweek
Source quote
earn less than or equal to $33.85/hour or earn less than or equal to $64,945.55/year, and the employer has at least 100 employees globally (250 employees and 30 locations for a restaurant).
43.1 hour
Chicago requires 1 hour of predictability pay for any schedule change made within 14 days of the shift.
City of Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, Fair Workweek
Source quote
1 hour of Predictability Pay for any shift change within 14 days
44.60%
60% of US hourly workers surveyed by Deputy in 2023 believed fair workweek regulations would make their schedules more predictable, and 37% thought they might.
Deputy, New Deputy Report Reveals 47% of U.S. Hourly Workers Struggle with Scheduling Issues (Sep 2023)
Source quote
60% of hourly workers believed Fair Workweek regulations would help with schedule predictability, 37% thought it might help, and 3% believed it wouldn't make a difference.

Scheduling software and the shift workforce

45.82%
82% of large retailers and logistics companies used AI-driven scheduling in 2025, according to Deputy's Big Shift report, and 45% of their workers reported better work-life balance as a result.
Deputy, The Big Shift: U.S. 2025 (Mar 2025)
Source quote
Among large retailers and logistics companies, 82% now use AI-driven scheduling, with 45% of workers reporting improved work-life balance as a result.
46.41%
Gen Z made up 41% of US shift workers on Deputy's platform in 2026, overtaking Millennials.
Deputy, The Big Shift 2026 (2026)
Source quote
Now accounting for 41% of shift workers, Gen Z has overtaken Millennials and is accelerating demand for flexible, self-directed work.
47.55%
Gen Z made up 55% of US shift workers holding more than one job in Deputy's 2026 data, and men were the majority of these multiple jobholders for the first time at 53%.
Deputy, The Big Shift 2026 (2026)
Source quote
Today, Gen Z makes up 55% of poly-workers and men represent the majority for the first time at 53% across U.S. shift industries
48.79%
Nearly 79% of US shift workers ended their shifts feeling positive in Deputy's end-of-shift surveys from May 2025 to April 2026, and negative responses fell to 5.9%.
Deputy, Fourth annual Shift Pulse Report (Jun 2026)
Source quote
Nearly 79% of shift workers ended their shifts feeling positive, while negative sentiment fell to 5.9%, the lowest level recorded in the dataset.
49.77%
77% of US retail workers surveyed by Logile in 2025 said their store regularly loses sales because of poor scheduling or staffing decisions.
Logile, 77% of Retail Workers Say Labor Planning Gaps Are Hurting Store Performance, Logile Survey Finds (May 2025)
Source quote
77% of retail workers say their store regularly loses sales due to poor scheduling or staffing decisions.
50.74%
74% of US frontline retail associates surveyed by Logile in 2025 said they were open to automated, traffic-based scheduling tools.
Logile, 77% of Retail Workers Say Labor Planning Gaps Are Hurting Store Performance, Logile Survey Finds (May 2025)
Source quote
74% of frontline associates say they’re open to automated, traffic-based scheduling tools
51.31%
31% of US frontline retail workers surveyed by Logile in 2025 were actively considering quitting because of poor scheduling or lack of hours, and another 22% said they were close to it.
Logile, 77% of Retail Workers Say Labor Planning Gaps Are Hurting Store Performance, Logile Survey Finds (May 2025)
Source quote
31% of frontline workers are actively considering quitting due to poor scheduling or lack of hours, with another 22% saying they’re close to that point if conditions don’t improve.
52.3.1%
Hours worked at US small businesses using Homebase were down 3.1% year over year in September 2026, based on timesheets from more than 150,000 businesses.
Homebase, Main Street Health Report, September 2026 (Oct 2026)
Source quote
Hours worked fell 4.8% month-over-month (as is typical in September; not seasonally adjusted) and were down 3.1% year-over-year.
53.6.5%
Employee turnover at US small businesses using Homebase was up 6.5% year over year in September 2026, while hiring turned positive for the first time in nearly two years.
Homebase, Main Street Health Report, September 2026 (Oct 2026)
Source quote
Turnover also rose, up 6.5% year-over-year.

Questions readers ask

What share of workers do shift work?: In the US, 15% of wage and salary workers usually work a non-daytime schedule, including 5% on evenings and 3% on nights, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics for 2024 and 2025. The share reaches 40% in leisure and hospitality. In the EU, Eurostat found 21.3% of employed people usually worked weekends in 2025.
How much notice do workers get of their schedules?: The Bureau of Labor Statistics found 59% of US wage and salary workers knew their schedule four weeks or more in advance in 2024 and 2025, while 9% learned it one day or less ahead. Among Los Angeles County fast food workers surveyed by the Shift Project, only 41% received at least two weeks of notice.
How common are on-call and irregular schedules?: The Federal Reserve found 16% of US workers had schedules that varied with their employer's needs in 2025. In Australia, 17% of employees had no guaranteed minimum hours in August 2025, according to the ABS. Among Los Angeles County fast food workers, the Shift Project found 40% had worked at least one on-call shift in the prior month.
What do fair workweek laws require?: Fair workweek laws generally require about two weeks of advance notice, extra pay for employer changes and rest between shifts. Seattle and Oregon require schedules 14 days ahead for large retail and food service employers, Oregon requires time and a half for shifts within 10 hours of the last one, and Chicago requires 1 hour of predictability pay for changes within 14 days.
How many people work part time because they cannot get more hours?: The Bureau of Labor Statistics counted 4.8 million people in the US working part time for economic reasons in October 2026. In the EU, Eurostat found 25.7% of male and 17.1% of female part-time workers aged 25 to 64 could not find a full-time job in 2024.
How widely is scheduling software used?: Deputy reported in 2025 that 82% of large retailers and logistics companies use AI-driven scheduling. Logile's 2025 survey of US retail associates found 74% open to automated, traffic-based scheduling tools, and 77% said poor scheduling regularly costs their store sales.

How these figures were chosen

We used primary publishers only: national statistics offices (the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Eurostat, the Australian Bureau of Statistics, Statistics Canada), the Federal Reserve Board, the International Labour Organization, research groups that run their own surveys (the Shift Project at Harvard Kennedy School, the Economic Policy Institute), the city and state agencies that enforce fair workweek laws, and workforce software companies reporting their own survey or platform data (Deputy, Homebase, Logile). Definitions differ: the BLS asks about usual schedules on the main job, Eurostat measures usual weekend work, and the Federal Reserve asks whether schedules vary and why. Shift Project figures describe fast food and retail workers in Los Angeles County recruited through social media ads, not all workers. Vendor figures cover each vendor's customers or survey panel. Law summaries reflect the agencies' pages as checked on the update date and are not legal advice. Every quote was refetched from the source page before publishing. Every quote was copied from the publisher's page and re-checked by our source checker. Read the methodology.

Sources

Australian Bureau of Statistics. Working arrangements, August 2025 (Dec 2025).
City of Chicago Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection. Fair Workweek.
Deputy. New Deputy Report Reveals 47% of U.S. Hourly Workers Struggle with Scheduling Issues (Sep 2023).
Deputy. The Big Shift: U.S. 2025 (Mar 2025).
Deputy. The Big Shift 2026 (2026).
Deputy. Fourth annual Shift Pulse Report (Jun 2026).
Economic Policy Institute. Irregular Work Scheduling and Its Consequences (Briefing Paper #394) (Apr 2015).
Eurostat. 21% of employed people worked on weekends in 2025 (May 2026).
Eurostat. Average work week nearly 36 hours in the EU in 2025 (May 2026).
Eurostat. Actual and usual hours of work (Statistics Explained) (May 2026).
Eurostat. Part-time and full-time employment, statistics (Statistics Explained) (Sep 2025).
Federal Reserve Board. Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2025 (May 2026).
Homebase. Main Street Health Report, September 2026 (Oct 2026).
International Labour Organization. Working time and work-life balance around the world (Jan 2023).
Logile. 77% of Retail Workers Say Labor Planning Gaps Are Hurting Store Performance, Logile Survey Finds (May 2025).
Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries. Predictive Scheduling.
Seattle Office of Labor Standards. Secure Scheduling Ordinance.
Statistics Canada. Canadian Survey on Working Conditions, 2024-2025 (Jan 2026).
The Shift Project, Harvard Kennedy School. Unpredictable and Unstable: Fast Food Jobs in Los Angeles (Jan 2026).
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Job Flexibilities and Work Schedules, 2024-2025 Data from the American Time Use Survey (Sep 2026).
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Employment Situation, October 2026 (Nov 2026).

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KeenVerdict. (2026, November 6). Workforce Scheduling Statistics 2026. https://keenverdict.com/workforce-scheduling-statistics

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Questions or corrections: editorial@keenverdict.com. Next scheduled review: January 5, 2027.