A newly released Eurostat report reveals that in 2024, employed people in the European Union worked an average of 36.0 hours per week in their main job — a full hour less than a decade earlier, when the average stood at 37.0 hours in 2014.
Yet behind this average lie significant differences across member states, with Greece topping the EU in weekly working hours. Greek workers aged 20 to 64 logged an average of 39.8 hours per week, making them the longest-working population in the bloc. Following Greece were Bulgaria (39.0 hours), Poland (38.9 hours) and Romania (38.8 hours).
At the other end of the scale, workers in the Netherlands had the shortest working week, averaging just 32.1 hours, followed by Denmark, Germany, and Austria, each with an average of 33.9 hours.
The type of work also played a major role in the number of hours worked. The longest working weeks in the EU were found in:
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing: 41.2 hours
- Mining and quarrying: 38.8 hours
- Construction: 38.7 hours
By contrast, the shortest weekly hours were reported in:
- Households as employers: 26.7 hours
- Education: 31.9 hours
- Arts, entertainment and recreation: 32.9 hours
Weekend work was another key trend analysed in the report. In 2023, 22.4% of employed people in the EU usually worked on weekends. This practice was especially widespread among:
- Skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers: 49.5%
- Service and sales workers: 48.9%
- Elementary occupations: 26.7%
A closer look reveals that self-employed individuals were significantly more likely to work on weekends compared to employees:
- 46.7% of employers (self-employed with employees)
- 37.8% of own-account workers (self-employed without employees)
- Only 19.2% of employees reported usually working weekends
Once again, Greece led the EU in this category, with 32.3% of employees usually working during weekends. This was followed by Italy (30.9%) and Cyprus (26.4%). At the other end of the spectrum, the lowest weekend work rates were seen in Lithuania (3.0%), Poland (4.5%), and Hungary (6.6%).
The findings reflect not only cultural and economic differences across Europe but also the unique demands placed on workers in different sectors and countries — with Greece consistently standing out for its intensive work culture both during the week and over the weekend.
(Source: Eurostat)
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