A Nation of Workaholics Has a New Fixation: Working Less

Good morning — In this edition, we explore why Germany has fallen out of love with the grind, what retirement will look like for Generation X, and how AI could be used to assess who's fit to lead.

This is a short version of The Wall Street Journal’s Careers & Leadership newsletter. Sign up here to get the full edition in your inbox every week.

New Statistics Blow a Hole in Germany’s Hard-Working Reputation

Germans worked 1,343 hours on average last year, less than any other country in the OECD, a club of 38 rich nations. Germans also took 19.4 sick days last year, the highest number ever recorded.

Younger generations are rejecting the Protestant work ethic of their parents.

Read the whole story here.

• CEOs on the Four-Day Workweek: 'All Is Going Fine' (Read)

• How a Four-Day Workweek Actually Works, From the Companies Pulling It Off (Read)

• The Truth About the Four-Day Workweek, From People Who Have Tried It (Read)

As Generation X Approaches Retirement, Reality Still Bites

The oldest members of Gen X are turning 60 next year. Many can’t afford to stop working any time soon.

Gen Xers launched their careers at the start of a massive shift in how Americans work. Companies moved from pensions that promise steady income after years of service to 401(k) plans, which put employees' retirement in their own hands.

Some Gen Xers were hit hard in their prime working years during the 2008 financial crisis. Others are still paying off student debt. Their children are increasingly living at home well into adulthood, while their own aging parents often require care. Few believe they can rely on Social Security to make ends meet later in life.

Read the whole story here.

• Here’s What Retirement Looks Like for Single Women in America (Read)

• Here’s What Retirement With Less Than $1 Million Looks Like in America (Read)

• Here’s What It’s Like to Retire on Almost Nothing but Social Security (Read)

Are You Mentally Fit to Lead? AI Has Thoughts

Bosses already live in fear that a verbal misstep will be recorded and go viral. Now they can look forward to a new nightmare in which artificial intelligence analyzes their rhetorical stumbles and suggests they’re no longer sharp enough to lead.

Read the whole column here.

• No One Wants to Sound Clueless About AI. Especially Your Boss. (Read)

• The Question Aging Bosses Should Ask Themselves (Read)

• Can You ‘Unboss’ Yourself Without Ruining Your Career? (Read)

This is a condensed version of WSJ’s Careers & Leadership newsletter. Sign up here to get the WSJ’s comprehensive work coverage in your inbox each week.

This newsletter was curated by Lynn Cook, WSJ's Careers and Workplace Bureau Chief. Reach her on LinkedIn.