What shapes are overtime premium schedules? Some evidence from Japan, the UK, and the US

We provide estimates of the shapes of overtime premium schedules for three contrasting economies, based on two-digit industries through time. At one end of the spectrum, the United Kingdom has no legislation concerning the minimum premium rate while, at the other, the United States mandates a high minimum premium of 1.5 times the straight-time hourly rate. In between these extremes, Japan sets a minimum premium of 1.25. We concentrate, in particular, on the question of whether the premium rises in average hours