Greeks clocked in the longest working hours in the European Union in 2024, according to data published by Eurostat, Europe’s statistical agency.
The figures showed that Greek employees worked for an average of 39.8 hours per week, placing them at the top of the EU rankings for weekly working time. Across the 27-member bloc, average working hours stood at an average of 36 hours per week – a slight decrease from 36.1 hours in 2023.
The figures highlight significant discrepancies across the bloc’s member states. Behind Greece, which topped the list, came three other nations with the most average weekly working hours –Bulgaria at 39 hours, Poland at 38.9 hours and Romania at 38.8 hours.
On the other hand, countries in western Europe recorded the shortest working weeks, with the Netherlands recording a 32.1-hour week, followed by Denmark, Germany and Austria with 33.9 hours each.
Average working hours per week have been steadily declining since 2014, when employees worked 37 hours per week. Greece has been boasting the longest working hours week for years, with its citizens in 2018 clocking in 42.3 hours per week.
Sectors with the longest weekly working hours in the EU were agriculture, forestry and fishing at 41.2 hours per week. The shortest working hours were recorded in household activities with just 26.7 hours, followed by education at 31.9 hours and the arts, recreation and entertainment sector at 32.9 hours.
Greeks work long hours, but their pay is low compared with their EU counterparts, Eurostat statistics have revealed.
Across the EU countries, Greece had the highest share of workers with long hours (11.6 percent), followed by Cyprus (10.4 percent) and France (10.1 percent). Meanwhile, the lowest rates were recorded in Bulgaria (0.4 percent), Lithuania and Latvia (1.1 percent each).
A higher rate of self-employed people worked long hours (29.3 percent of total self-employed people) compared with employees (3.6 percent of total employees).
Long working hours were more common among skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers (27.5 percent of all skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers) and managers (21.9 percent).
All other occupational groups, as defined by the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) averaged up to 7.3 percent of total self-employed people compared with employees (3.6 percent of total employees).
Another survey released by Eurostat last year also found that Greeks, despite working long hours, are paid relatively little compared to the rest of the EU.
Greece remained in the lowest one-third of 26 European states in terms of salaries for 2023, coming in at 20th place.
The Benelux Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, one of Europe’s hubs for finance, was in first place, with an average hourly rate of 47 euros. Luxembourg has the highest per capita income in the world.
Denmark followed with 42 euros per hour, then Norway (41.7), non-EU Iceland (39.5) and Belgium (36.3).
Greece’s 20th place was linked with an average hourly wage of 12.6 euros.
Behind Greece were Slovakia (12.5), Poland (11.9), Hungary (11), Latvia (10.7) and Romania (10.4). The last place was held by Bulgaria, where the average hourly wage was 8.4 euros.
