In an eye-opening revelation of working hours across the continent, a recent study has found that workers in Central and Eastern European nations are clocking in longer hours at work compared to their Western peers.
Greece and Romania lead the charge, with employees averaging nearly 40-hour weeks, while Balkan countries, including Turkey, Montenegro, and Serbia, surpass the 40-hour mark. This contrasts starkly with the more relaxed pace in the Netherlands, Austria, and Norway, where workweeks are significantly shorter.
The analysis further reveals that full-time workers in the EU average between 37.4 to 41.3 hours weekly, with part-time workers in Romania topping the EU charts at 27 hours weekly. These figures reflect not just individual country policies but also the prevalence of part-time employment and differing cultural attitudes towards work.
Notably, the study also sheds light on gender disparities within European labor markets, where men typically work longer hours than women, a gap that is particularly wide in countries like the Netherlands and Switzerland.
Additionally, a portion of the European workforce, especially in countries like Greece, Turkey, and the UK, routinely put in more than 49 hours per week, raising questions about the long-term sustainability of such work habits.
For the full report and detailed insights into these statistics, visit the report here