The paper quickly recalls the origin and development of the maximum weekly working hours regulation and presents the topicality of some experiences of reduction of working hours in place at a global level. The public debate on working hours, which developed over the past decades and then moved to academic debate, has not yet reached ultimate conclusions on the impact on employment, competitiveness, and growth. The total number of hours worked per employee in Italy remains the highest among the main European economies. The dynamics of the average actual hours worked in our country, starting from 2008 onwards, tends to decrease. Nevertheless, starting from the 1990s, the competitiveness gap between Italy and the other main European economies has grown, with hourly productivity growing in the other countries while it has been decreasing in Italy.