Quick answer
The headline shift work statistics: in 2024-25, 14.8% of US wage and salary workers, about 22.4 million people, usually worked a non-daytime schedule. Evenings were the most common (5.3%), then nights (3.4%). Leisure and hospitality relies on shifts most: 40.0% of its workers are off the daytime schedule.
Shift work statistics for the US come mainly from one federal survey. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) Job Flexibilities and Work Schedules release of September 24, 2026, 85.2% of wage and salary workers usually worked a regular daytime schedule in 2024-25 and 14.8% worked evenings, nights, rotating, split, irregular or other shifts. This page collects the latest shift workers statistics by shift type, industry, occupation and age, along with schedule notice, health research and the laws that now govern shift scheduling. Each figure links to its source.
Shift work statistics: how many Americans work shifts
The figures below come from the American Time Use Survey (ATUS) Leave and Job Flexibilities Module, which asked about 6,600 respondents about their main job. They cover wage and salary workers age 15 and over; the self-employed are excluded. BLS notes that no data were collected from September 30 to November 11, 2025, so 2025 is an 11-month average.
- 151.49 million wage and salary workers were covered, and 85.2% worked a regular daytime schedule. (BLS Table 7)
- 22.36 million usually worked a non-daytime schedule, 14.8% of the total. (BLS Table 8)
- BLS defines a daytime schedule as one where most hours fall between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. An evening shift is mostly between 2 p.m. and midnight, and a night shift mostly between 9 p.m. and 8 a.m. (BLS Technical Note)
- 68.0% of workers usually worked Monday through Friday, and 7.8% usually worked both Saturday and Sunday. (BLS Table 9)
- 15.0% usually worked Saturdays and 11.6% usually worked Sundays.
The share has edged down since the previous module. In 2017-18, BLS reported that 84% of wage and salary workers had a regular daytime schedule and 16% did not (BLS, September 24, 2019).
| Measure | 2017-18 | 2024-25 |
|---|---|---|
| Regular daytime schedule | 84% | 85% |
| Evening shift | 6% | 5% |
| Night shift | 4% | 3% |
| Leisure and hospitality, non-daytime | 37% | 40% |
| Knew schedule 4 weeks or more ahead | 55% | 59% |
| Had a flexible schedule | 57% | 57% |
Source: BLS Job Flexibilities and Work Schedules releases of September 24, 2019 and September 24, 2026, rounded to whole percents as BLS states them in the release text.
What this means for employers: Shift work is a steady part of the US labor market, not a niche. If you run any evening or overnight coverage, your hiring pool includes about 22 million people already used to those hours. The guide to 1st, 2nd and 3rd shift hours explains the usual start and end times.
Night shift statistics and other shift types
Evening work is the largest non-daytime group. Night shift statistics are smaller but concentrated in a few occupations. Shares are of all wage and salary workers in 2024-25; counts are from BLS Table 8.
- 7.96 million people usually worked evenings and 5.14 million usually worked nights.
- 3.21 million had irregular schedules, 2.89 million worked rotating shifts that move between days, evenings and nights, and 3.15 million worked split shifts or other schedules.
- Transportation and material moving had the highest night share of any occupation group: 11.7% of its workers, plus 7.9% on irregular schedules. (BLS Table 7)
- Production occupations followed at 7.9% on nights, and had the highest split-shift share at 3.3%.
- Black or African American workers were the most likely racial group to work nights: 7.1%, compared with 2.6% of White and 5.2% of Asian workers.
What this means for employers: Rotating and irregular schedules together cover about 6 million people, and they are the hardest to plan around because hours change week to week. Fixed patterns such as the DuPont schedule or the 2-2-3 schedule give 24/7 teams a rotation employees can predict months ahead.
Shift workers by industry and occupation
Shift work clusters where customers or machines need people around the clock. These are shares of each industry's wage and salary workers on any non-daytime schedule in 2024-25.
- In leisure and hospitality, 20.3% of workers usually worked evenings, 6.5% nights and 5.5% irregular schedules.
- Manufacturing had the highest night share among industries, 5.9%, and 2.4% worked rotating shifts.
- In education and health services, 3.7% worked nights, out of 37.77 million workers, the largest industry group in the survey.
- Construction was the most daytime industry: 96.9% worked a regular daytime schedule.
| Occupation group (2024-25) | Non-daytime | Evening | Night |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transportation and material moving | 36.4% | 9.8% | 11.7% |
| Service | 28.1% | 13.8% | 4.8% |
| Production | 24.9% | 6.1% | 7.9% |
| Sales and related | 17.3% | 8.3% | 2.2% |
| Installation, maintenance and repair | 13.4% | 7.3% | 3.4% |
| Office and administrative support | 11.0% | 4.3% | 1.6% |
| Professional and related | 8.0% | 2.1% | 2.4% |
| Management, business and financial | 5.7% | 0.9% | 1.2% |
| Construction and extraction | 3.8% | 0.1% | 0.8% |
Source: BLS ATUS Table 7, averages for 2024-25. Farming, fishing and forestry is suppressed.
What this means for employers: If you run a restaurant, a store or a warehouse, shift work is your normal operating model, not an exception. Our restaurant industry statistics show how that sector's staffing compares on pay and turnover.
Who works non-daytime shifts
Young workers, part-timers and men are the most likely to work outside daytime hours. Figures are from BLS Table 7, 2024-25.
- One in four workers aged 15 to 24 (25.1%) worked non-daytime hours, and 12.9% of them worked evenings.
- Among single jobholders, 23.4% of part-time workers were on non-daytime schedules, versus 12.6% of full-time workers. Part-timers worked evenings at nearly four times the full-time rate: 12.3% versus 3.2%.
- 16.4% of men and 12.9% of women worked non-daytime schedules. Men worked nights at 4.0%, women at 2.7%.
- 20.7% of Black or African American workers were on non-daytime schedules, compared with 13.8% of White and 11.4% of Asian workers.
What this means for employers: Evening and weekend shifts are mostly staffed by younger, part-time employees, often students. Their availability shifts with school terms, so ask for availability each term and keep it in the schedule, not in a group chat. Federal child labor rules also limit hours for 14- and 15-year-olds; our scheduling guide summarizes them.
Why people work shifts
BLS asked non-daytime workers for their main reason. These are percent distributions from BLS Table 8, 2024-25.
- 36.6% said it was the nature of the job. That rose to 60.2% for rotating shifts and 58.8% for irregular schedules.
- 23.6% cited personal preference, the second most common reason. Among women on night shifts, it was the top reason at 47.6%.
- 12.5% cited better arrangements for family, including 25.2% of women on evening shifts.
- 8.5% said the shift allows time for school or another job, rising to 18.9% among evening workers.
- 8.5% said they could not get another shift. 8.1% cited better pay, rising to 17.5% among night workers and 22.6% among men on nights.
What this means for employers: Only about one in twelve non-daytime workers is there mainly for the money, but for night shifts it is closer to one in six, so a shift differential is a real hiring lever for overnight roles. Remember that differentials go into the regular rate when you figure overtime.
Work schedule statistics: notice and irregular hours
How far ahead people know their hours matters as much as when they work. These work schedule statistics come from BLS Table 5 and Table 9, 2024-25.
- 58.7% of wage and salary workers knew their schedule four weeks or more in advance, and 8.9% knew it one day or less ahead.
- Workzenly calculation: 17.0% learned their schedule less than a week ahead (one day or less, 2 to 3 days, or 4 to 6 days). In 2017-18, BLS reported that 19% learned their schedule less than one week in advance.
- Men were nearly twice as likely as women to get one day or less of notice: 11.6% versus 6.0%.
- Construction had the shortest notice: 30.1% of its workers knew their schedule one day or less ahead.
- Leisure and hospitality had the least long-range notice: only 21.8% knew their schedule four weeks or more ahead, and 34.8% got 7 to 10 days. Workzenly calculation: 25.6% got less than a week.
- Part-time workers: 38.5% knew four weeks or more ahead, versus 63.7% of full-time workers.
| Industry (2024-25) | 1 day or less | 7 to 10 days | 4 weeks or more |
|---|---|---|---|
| All wage and salary workers | 8.9% | 13.6% | 58.7% |
| Leisure and hospitality | 7.2% | 34.8% | 21.8% |
| Wholesale and retail trade | 5.2% | 15.4% | 44.5% |
| Construction | 30.1% | 14.9% | 34.2% |
| Transportation and utilities | 11.7% | 13.8% | 63.8% |
| Manufacturing | 8.5% | 11.3% | 66.5% |
| Education and health services | 5.7% | 8.5% | 73.3% |
Source: BLS ATUS Table 5, percent distribution by how far in advance workers knew their schedules. Columns not shown (2 to 3 days, 4 to 6 days, 11 days to 4 weeks) make up the rest of each row.
Irregular schedules statistics: how much weekly hours swing
BLS asked the most and fewest hours each person worked in a single week over the past month. Workzenly calculation from Table 9: the average worker's swing was about 9.7 hours (42.38 versus 32.73). For part-time workers it was about 9.0 hours on a base of only 16.67 to 25.69 hours, a large share of a small paycheck. In leisure and hospitality, 46.1% usually worked Saturdays and 37.7% Sundays.
What this means for employers: Retail and hospitality give the shortest planning horizon to the workers with the least slack. Posting two weeks ahead is now the legal default in several cities, and it is good practice everywhere. Start from a reusable pattern in our shift schedule templates.
Shift work and health
The health research on shift work is older than the BLS data and mostly comes from specific groups such as nurses and residents. Each finding below is dated and attributed.
- 44.0% of night shift workers reported short sleep (6 hours or less a day), compared with 28.8% of day shift workers and 30.0% of all workers, in a CDC analysis of the 2010 National Health Interview Survey. (CDC MMWR, April 27, 2012)
- Among night shift workers in transportation and warehousing, 69.7% reported short sleep, and 52.3% in health care and social assistance.
- NIOSH training for nurses, summarizing a pooled analysis by Folkard and Lombardi (2006), reports that compared with day shifts, the risk of accidents and injuries is about 15% higher on evening shifts and 28% higher on night shifts; compared with 8-hour shifts, it is 13% higher for 10-hour and 28% higher for 12-hour shifts. (NIOSH; original paper: Am J Ind Med)
- The same NIOSH course reports that being awake for 17 hours is similar to a blood alcohol level of 0.05%, and 24 hours to 0.10%. (NIOSH)
- The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies night shift work as "probably carcinogenic to humans" (Group 2A) in Monograph Volume 124, citing limited evidence in humans and sufficient evidence in experimental animals. The label rates strength of evidence, not size of risk. (IARC)
The sleep figures are from 2010; we did not find a newer federal estimate with the same shift breakdown. Treat them as the best available national baseline, not a current rate.
What this means for employers: Fatigue risk rises with night work and long shifts, so limit back-to-back nights, avoid "clopening" turnarounds and keep commute time in mind for overnight staff. Our burnout statistics and healthcare workforce statistics cover the wider strain on 24/7 teams.
Fair workweek laws
Federal law sets no advance notice rule for schedules. Oregon has a statewide predictive scheduling law, and several large cities, including New York City, San Francisco, Seattle, Chicago, Philadelphia and Los Angeles, have fair workweek ordinances for larger employers in set industries. Two examples, as published by each agency:
- Oregon: retail, hospitality and food service employers with at least 500 employees worldwide must give a written schedule 14 days ahead. Workers cannot be scheduled in the first 10 hours after the previous day's shift unless they request or agree to it, and those hours are paid at time and a half. Late employer changes earn extra pay. (Oregon BOLI)
- Seattle: in effect since July 1, 2017, for retail and food service establishments with 500+ employees worldwide (full-service restaurants also need 40+ full-service locations). Schedules must be posted 14 days ahead, and hours worked between shifts less than 10 hours apart are paid at time and a half. (Seattle Office of Labor Standards)
What this means for employers: Most small, independent businesses are not covered, but franchisees can be, and 14 days is the notice period in both laws above. Our scheduling page summarizes the main city rules. This is general information, not legal advice; check your city or state labor agency.
About this data
Most shift work statistics on this page come from the BLS Job Flexibilities and Work Schedules release, based on the ATUS Leave and Job Flexibilities Module. BLS runs the module every several years; the 2024-25 edition was released September 24, 2026, and the previous one covered 2017-18. It covers wage and salary workers at their main job and excludes the self-employed. Shares are of all wage and salary workers unless stated.
Health findings come from the CDC (2010 survey data, published 2012), NIOSH training material summarizing peer-reviewed studies, and IARC. They describe specific populations and older periods, and they measure different things from the BLS survey. Law summaries come from the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries and the Seattle Office of Labor Standards. Where we compute shares or differences, the text says "Workzenly calculation."
We review this page when new releases come out. Journalists, students and bloggers are welcome to cite it with a link to this page.
More workforce statistics: Healthcare workforce statistics · Overtime statistics · Burnout statistics · Workplace injuries statistics.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Job Flexibilities and Work Schedules, 2024-25, released September 24, 2026. bls.gov/news.release/flex2.nr0.htm
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Table 5, How far in advance workers knew their work schedules, 2024-2025. bls.gov/news.release/flex2.t05.htm
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Table 7, Workers by shift usually worked and selected characteristics, 2024-2025. bls.gov/news.release/flex2.t07.htm
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Table 8, Main reason for working non-daytime schedules by sex and shift, 2024-2025. bls.gov/news.release/flex2.t08.htm
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Table 9, Variability of weekly work hours and percent working by day of week, 2024-2025. bls.gov/news.release/flex2.t09.htm
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Job Flexibilities and Work Schedules Technical Note. bls.gov/news.release/flex2.tn.htm
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Job Flexibilities and Work Schedules, 2017-18, released September 24, 2019. bls.gov/news.release/archives/flex2_09242019.htm
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Short Sleep Duration Among Workers, United States, 2010, MMWR, April 27, 2012. cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6116a2.htm
- NIOSH, Training for Nurses on Shift Work and Long Work Hours, Module 3 (injuries and errors; sleep deprivation). cdc.gov/niosh/work-hour-training-for-nurses
- Folkard S, Lombardi DA, Modeling the impact of the components of long work hours on injuries and "accidents," American Journal of Industrial Medicine 49(11), 2006. doi.org/10.1002/ajim.20307
- International Agency for Research on Cancer, IARC Monographs Volume 124: Night Shift Work, 2020. iarc.who.int
- Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries, Predictive scheduling. oregon.gov/boli
- Seattle Office of Labor Standards, Secure Scheduling Ordinance. seattle.gov/laborstandards
Frequently asked questions
What percentage of US workers do shift work?
In 2024-25, 14.8% of US wage and salary workers usually worked a non-daytime schedule, about 22.4 million people, according to the BLS Job Flexibilities and Work Schedules release of September 24, 2026. The other 85.2% worked a regular daytime schedule.
How many people work the night shift in the US?
BLS counted about 5.1 million wage and salary workers (5,144,000) on a night shift as their usual schedule in 2024-25, or 3.4% of all wage and salary workers. Another 7.96 million usually worked evenings. The figures come from the American Time Use Survey Leave and Job Flexibilities Module.
Which industry has the most shift workers?
Leisure and hospitality. In 2024-25, 40.0% of its wage and salary workers usually worked a non-daytime schedule, including 20.3% on evenings, according to BLS. Transportation and utilities was next at 24.5%, then wholesale and retail trade at 20.0%.
Why do people work night or evening shifts?
The most common reason is the nature of the job, cited by 36.6% of non-daytime workers in 2024-25. Personal preference followed at 23.6%, then better family arrangements at 12.5%. Among night workers, 17.5% said better pay, according to BLS Table 8.
How far in advance do workers get their schedules?
In 2024-25, 58.7% of wage and salary workers knew their schedule four weeks or more ahead and 8.9% knew it one day or less ahead, according to BLS. In leisure and hospitality, only 21.8% knew it four weeks or more ahead.
Is night shift work bad for your health?
Evidence links it to health risks. A CDC study of 2010 survey data found 44.0% of night shift workers slept 6 hours or less a day, versus 28.8% of day workers. The International Agency for Research on Cancer classifies night shift work as probably carcinogenic to humans (Group 2A).