Depends how you define work, and how it's divided up.
A remarkable amount of labour goes into generating income to pay for care, for example. Both people saving for their own in later life (or insurance to pay for it), and working to pay for childcare so they can work.
And a sizeable amount also just to facilitate the work itself. Car payments so you can get to work. Student loan repayments on your training, and so on. Paying over the odds for a city apartment because that's where the work is.
None of this can be magicked away of course. But the amount of hours that directly address economic need or generate discretionary income is a lot less than 40.
A remarkable amount of labour goes into generating income to pay for care, for example. Both people saving for their own in later life (or insurance to pay for it), and working to pay for childcare so they can work.
And a sizeable amount also just to facilitate the work itself. Car payments so you can get to work. Student loan repayments on your training, and so on. Paying over the odds for a city apartment because that's where the work is.
None of this can be magicked away of course. But the amount of hours that directly address economic need or generate discretionary income is a lot less than 40.