Who works the most in Europe?/ Countries with the longest and shortest work weeks

2026-06-10 08:16:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Who works the most in Europe?/ Countries with the longest and shortest work

Working hours vary considerably across Europe, with some countries working nearly eight hours more per week than others. The latest Eurostat data shows that the average working week in the European Union is 35.9 hours, but differences between countries remain large.

According to the report, Turkey tops the European rankings with 42.4 working hours per week, followed by Bosnia and Herzegovina with 40.9 hours and Serbia with 40.6 hours. Within the EU countries, Greece ranks first with 39.6 working hours per week, while North Macedonia and Bulgaria follow with 39.5 and 38.7 hours respectively.

Experts point out that lower productivity, labor shortages, and the way work schedules are regulated are among the main factors influencing the longer work weeks in these countries.

At the other end of the scale is the Netherlands, which has the shortest average working week in Europe, with just 31.9 hours per week. It is followed by Germany, Norway and Denmark, each with 33.9 hours per week. Average working hours also remain below 35 hours in Austria, Belgium and Finland.

According to experts, one of the main reasons for this result in the Netherlands is the high prevalence of part-time work. Around 43 percent of employees in the country work part-time, the highest percentage in the European Union.

The report also highlights differences between the EU's largest economies. Germany records the shortest working week at 33.9 hours, while France has an average of 35.6 hours. In Italy, employees work an average of 36.1 hours a week, while in Spain it is 36.3 hours, making the latter the country with the longest working week among the bloc's four major economies.

Experts estimate that union strength and collective bargaining play an important role in reducing working hours. Countries where unions have greater influence and where collective agreements are stronger tend to have shorter work weeks and fewer overtime hours.

The data also shows that working hours vary by sector. Workers in agriculture, forestry and fishing work an average of 42 hours a week, topping the list of occupations with the highest workload. They are followed by managers with 40.6 hours and armed forces personnel with 39.4 hours.

In contrast, elementary occupations record the shortest workweek at 31.8 hours, while office support workers and sales and service workers work an average of 34 to 35 hours per week.

The Eurostat report highlights that, beyond cultural and economic differences, factors such as the structure of the labor market, the level of self-employment, part-time work and the strength of collective bargaining continue to determine how long Europeans work./ CNA