https://groups.csail.mit.edu/mac/users/rauch/worktime/hours_...
That depends entirely upon the ratio of agriculture to other industries in a society and the level of automation.
People operating today's corporate farms in the US probably work fewer hours than their 1920s analogues, but produce far more output. People operating today's small/"family" farms are probably about on par in terms of hours worked, but still produce much more and there are far fewer of them.
They do create significantly more for their time, true. But this idea that exists that automation has given us more free time isn't quite borne out by the evidence.
Leisure, as we understand it is a pretty modern development. In that study they are defining leisure as the opposite of labor. I wouldn't call that leisure personally. Partaking in or consuming entertainment and hobbies is leisure.
Maybe technology developed for conflict came first but I’d guess peacetime uses also put demands on innovation.
Interestingly, I watched some video somewhere where in some part of India[1] there were people who were harvesting wheat with a curved knife (sickle) like implement rather than a scythe. So people had to bend down to harvest a field. Meaning sometimes technology doesn’t diffuse everywhere —even well known solutions.
Agriculture is more work than hunting and gathering, but it's a much more consistent food source.
https://www.zmescience.com/science/hunter-gatherer-farmer-ti...