Greece’s Working Life Duration Among the Shortest in EU: Eurostat Report

In 2023, the average expected duration of working life for 15-year-olds across the European Union was 36.9 years.

Greece, however, recorded one of the shortest average working life durations, highlighting significant disparities within the EU.

In Greece, the average expected duration of working life for women was 30.6 years, placing it among the lowest in the EU. This is in stark contrast to the EU countries with the longest working life durations such as Sweden (41.9 years) and the Netherlands (41.5 years).

The working life duration across the EU showed considerable variation in 2023. Countries with the highest durations included the Netherlands (43.7 years), Sweden (43.1 years), and Denmark (41.3 years). On the other hand, the shortest working lives were found in Romania (32.2 years), Italy (32.9 years), and Croatia (34.0 years), with Greece not far behind these figures.

The data also revealed gender disparities in the duration of working life. EU men had an average working life of 39.0 years, with the longest durations in the Netherlands (45.7 years) and Sweden (44.1 years). For women, the EU average was 34.7 years, but in Greece, it was significantly lower at 30.6 years, highlighting a gender gap in the Greek labour market.

Since 2013, the EU has generally seen an increase in the expected duration of working life, which was interrupted in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The working life duration dropped from 35.9 years in 2019 to 35.6 years in 2020 but rebounded to pre-pandemic levels by 2021.

This report draws on data from Eurostat, providing insights into employment and unemployment trends across the European Union.

Read more: Eurostat reports

(Source: Eurostat)