Workers in the European Union put in an average of 35.9 hours a week in 2025, down from 36.9 hours in 2015.
The figures cover “actual weekly working hours” in people’s main job for those aged 20 to 64, including both full-time and part-time workers, Eurostat reported on Wednesday.
Working weeks were longest in Greece at 39.6 hours, followed by Bulgaria and Poland at 38.7 hours each, and Lithuania at 38.4 hours.
At the other end of the scale, the Netherlands recorded the shortest average working week at 31.9 hours, followed by Denmark and Germany at 33.9 hours each, and Austria at 34.0 hours.
Which jobs work the longest hours?
By occupation across the EU, skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers had the longest working week at 42.0 hours, followed by managers at 40.6 and armed forces occupations at 39.4, Eurostat reported.
The shortest working weeks were recorded in elementary occupations at 31.8 hours, followed by clerical support workers at 34.0 and service and sales workers at 34.5.
