People in the depression definitely worked harder than people do now. Jobs were like “selling tomatoes from a cart” and “guy who sands the paint off old boxes to sell them as new ones”.
The 60s and 70s were a time of unprecedented increase in standard of living for many people in the US. You could see the Rolling Stones live for like $5, and pay for a car (in full) with a part time job. We are not going to see that again, so don’t compare life now to that.