Why are fewer Americans working the night shift?

What It Covers

New BLS and census data analyzed by economists Dan Hamermesh and Jeff Biddle reveals a 50-year decline in US night shift work, driven by rising education levels, manufacturing's shrinkage, and workers trading higher pay for better schedules.

Key Questions Answered

• •Night shift decline: The share of Americans working between 10PM and 5AM has dropped by roughly 25% over 50 years, according to Hamermesh and Biddle's analysis of BLS and census data spanning from 1973 to present day.
• •Education as the primary driver: College degree attainment among US workers rose from 16% in 1973 to 46% today. Higher education expands access to daytime jobs, making it the single largest factor behind the long-term decline in night shift employment.
• •Manufacturing contraction: US manufacturing employment fell from 27% of all workers in 1973 to 13% today. Since manufacturing historically required round-the-clock shifts, this structural economic shift toward services directly reduced the total pool of nighttime work available.
• •Schedule as compensation: US workers consistently accept lower wages in exchange for daytime schedules. Unlike Poland and Cambodia, where night shift premiums are legally mandated, American employers pay smaller differentials due to lower unionization rates and sufficient worker supply at current wages.