Long working hours are common in Latvia
In the European Union (EU) in 2024, Greece held the distinction of having the longest average weekly working hours, with approximately 39.8 hours, according to recent data [3]. This comes as no surprise, as Greek workers are known for having among the longest average working hours in the EU.
On the other hand, Romania, Italy, Croatia, Greece, and Bulgaria had the shortest expected total working life, with an average of 32.7 years in Romania, 32.8 years in Italy, and 34.8 years each in Croatia, Greece, and Bulgaria [1][2][4]. This measure refers to the expected average total years of working life, indicating generally shorter careers in these countries.
The data on working hours by economic activity, however, remains unclear. The specific sectors or industries with the longest or shortest working hours in the EU for 2024 could not be determined from the provided sources.
Some notable findings include the Netherlands having the shortest working week in the EU, with a length of 32.1 hours [5]. Estonia followed closely behind with a working week of 36.5 hours, while Latvia and Lithuania had weeks nearly 2 hours longer than Estonia [2].
The activities of households as employers had the shortest working week in the EU in 2024, with a length of 26.7 hours [2]. Conversely, agriculture, forestry, and fishing had the longest working week, with a length of 41.2 actual working hours [2]. The working week in the education sector was nearly 7 hours shorter than in agriculture, forestry, and fishing, and construction had a working week length of 38.7 hours [2].
Arts, entertainment, and recreation had a working week length of 32.9 hours, while Denmark, Germany, and Austria each had a working week length of 33.9 hours [2]. The working week length in Latvia was 38.3 hours, and workers in Poland worked 38.9 hours per week [2]. Education had a working week length of 31.9 hours in the EU [2].
These findings offer a glimpse into the working patterns across various EU countries and sectors in 2024. For more detailed information on working hours by sector or deeper data on weekly hours across countries, additional sources beyond these would be necessary.
In the context of EU countries' work patterns in 2024, Greece, along with Romania, Italy, Croatia, and Bulgaria, had the shortest expected total working life, but in the agriculture sector, Greece had the longest working week, with 41.2 actual working hours [2]. Given this, one could speculate that agriculture in Greece might have a significant financial impact due to extensive business hours.
