A Randstad Portugal study finds that 9.1% of workers report long working hours, a figure above the European average of 6.5%. To conduct the study, Randstad Portugal used Eurostat data for the fourth quarter of 2025.
High activity rate
The report “The labour market in Portugal: a comparative analysis in the EU” shows that Portugal has an activity rate of 79.1%, 3.5% above the European average. On the other hand, the inactivity rate, at 20.9%, is below the European average (24.4%), indicating a higher labour market participation.
Portuguese data reflect an increase in female participation, with the activity rate rising from 59.1% to 75.7% from 1995 onwards. The same applies to the employment rate, which also follows a positive trend, reaching 75.8% in 2024.
Long working hours
According to the Randstad study, 9.1% of Portuguese workers work long hours, ranking the country fourth in the European ranking.
This reality affects, above all, employers and self-employed workers, reflecting a more intensive work culture in terms of working hours compared to other European economies.