Workload in the European Union: Where People Work Less

Photo: Eurostat

Europeans are working fewer overtime hours. Ten years ago, 9.8% of Europeans spent 49 hours or more per week at work. By 2024, this figure dropped to just 6.6%, according to Eurostat. However, differences across member states remain significant: Greece and Cyprus still record high workloads, while such cases are rare in Eastern Europe.

The change has been gradual over the last decade. In 2014, 9.8% of employees worked 49+ hours per week, in 2019 it was 8.4%, and in 2024 – 6.6%. This reflects a three-percentage-point improvement, with almost every EU country contributing to the decline.

Countries with the highest and lowest overtime levels

Greece has the highest share of people aged 20–64 working 49+ hours weekly – 12.4%.
Cyprus follows with 10%, and France ranks third with 9.9%.
In contrast, only 0.4% in Bulgaria, 1% in Latvia, and 1.4% in Lithuania work excessive hours.
The contrast within the EU is therefore several-fold.

Employees vs. self-employed

Among salaried employees, only 3.4% work more than 49 hours per week. Among the self-employed, however, the figure soars to 27.5%.

By industry:
Agriculture, forestry and fisheries top the list with 26.2% working long hours.
Managers come next – 21.1% work overtime regularly.

Part-time work: migrants vs. locals

In 2024, foreign residents in the EU were more likely to accept part-time jobs than locals.
Among non-EU migrants, 22.2% worked part-time.
Among intra-EU movers, the share was 20.8%.
For native citizens, only 16.6% worked part-time.

Gender differences are notable:
35.8% of women who moved within the EU worked part-time vs. 7.9% of men.
Among non-EU migrants, 36.8% of women and 11.8% of men worked part-time.
Even among locals, women were nearly four times more likely than men to work part-time.

Longer working lives

The average working life in the EU (for people aged 15+) has increased by 2.4 years over the past decade — from 34.8 to 37.2 years.
The highest figures: Netherlands (43.8 years), Sweden (43), Denmark (42.5).
Germany, Ireland, and Estonia also exceed 40 years.
Lowest values: Romania (32.7), Italy (32.8), and around 34.8 years in Croatia, Greece, and Bulgaria.
Men work an average of 39.2 years, women — 35 years. The gap varies by country: women work longest in Estonia, Sweden, and the Netherlands, and shortest in Italy, Romania, and Greece.

Conclusion

Eurostat views the decline in excessive overtime as a positive shift, reflecting a better balance between work and personal life, and higher labor standards. However, disparities across the EU remain. In countries like Greece and Cyprus, long working hours are still widespread, meaning further measures are needed to protect workers’ rights.