This is a graph of labor capacity utilization in the US:
As you can see from the long-term trend, we could make huge progress in the unemployment problem simply by giving all regular employees an extra day off work. This diary from January recommends Friday be added to a new three-day weekend because of the Muslim faith.
Please take the poll, and please vote up the Treasury Consumers Bill of Rights which includes labor and housing capacity in Right 3. Thank you!
Here, over a shorter time period -- about half as many years -- is worker productivity, just in case you were concerned a three-day weekend wouldn't work: