OTTAWA — Workers in the Prairie provinces and Ontario punched out later at work in 2004 than their counterparts in other regions of Canada, according to a new Stats Canada on regional differences in work hours.

The study, based on data from the 2004 Survey of Labour and Income Dynamics, found substantial differences in the average patterns of working hours across Canada.

According to the study, which examined a sample of about 19,500 workers in the prime working-age group of 25 to 54, workers in Alberta averaged 1,880 hours a year, the highest in the country. This is the equivalent of 36 hours a week for a full-year worker.

Their counterparts in the combined region of Manitoba-Saskatchewan were close behind with 1,860, followed by workers in Ontario, with 1,850 hours.

In contrast, workers in British Columbia averaged 1,790 hours. Those in the Atlantic region put in 1,780, while workers in Quebec reported the lowest, 1,750 hours, according to the study.

While differences in working hours between Canada and other nations have generated a substantial body of research, this study shows that working hours can also vary quite widely within a country, StatsCan points out.