![\"Eurostat](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/working-hours-credit-flickr-duane-storey-cc-by-nc-nd-2-0.jpg\")
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Eurostat data show Greece<\/a> leads the EU in working hours. Credit: Flickr \/ Duane Storey \/ CC BY NC ND 2-0<\/p>\n Greece stands out as the European Union\u2019s leader in working hours<\/a>, with employees clocking in far above the bloc\u2019s average.<\/p>\n Eurostat<\/a>, the European Union\u2019s statistical office, reports that in the second quarter of 2025, 20.9% of Greek workers aged 20 to 64 worked more than 45 hours per week\u2014nearly double the EU average of 10.8%.<\/p>\n The figures highlight Greece\u2019s entrenched culture of long workweeks and underline sharp contrasts with other member states where shorter schedules are the norm.<\/p>\n Overtime contrasts across the union<\/p>\n While Greece tops the list, it is not alone in recording high levels of overtime. Cyprus follows with 16.6%, and Malta with 14.6%.<\/p>\n At the other end of the spectrum, Bulgaria (2.5%), Latvia (4.1%), and Romania (5.9%) report the lowest shares of employees working beyond 45 hours, underscoring the diversity of work cultures and labor structures<\/a> across the EU.<\/p>\n Standard workweeks still dominate<\/p>\n Despite these disparities, most workers in Europe<\/a> maintain conventional schedules. Eurostat data show that 72.3% of employed individuals work between 20 and 44 hours per week, reflecting the typical standard across the Union.<\/p>\n This majority indicates that, while long workweeks grab headlines, they are far from the dominant experience for most EU workers.<\/p>\n In Q2 2025, 10.8% of EU employed people worked more than 45 hours per week in their main and second job combined.\ud83d\udd51\ud83d\udcbc<\/p>\n Highest in: Lowest in: \ud83d\udc49 https:\/\/t.co\/UpgLjYROGT<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/0vsKqoDHl4<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 EU_Eurostat (@EU_Eurostat) October 7, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n Part-Time employment reveals another divide<\/p>\n The survey also sheds light on part-time employment. Overall, 16.9% of workers in the EU reported schedules of fewer than 19 hours per week.<\/p>\n Northern and Western European countries lead this category, with the Netherlands (26.8%), Denmark (25.5%), and Austria (25.3%) recording the highest shares.<\/p>\n In contrast, Romania (3.5%), Bulgaria (4.6%), and Greece (6.1%) show the lowest reliance on part-time work.<\/p>\n Balancing productivity and Well-Being<\/p>\n The findings point to broader questions about labor practices and work-life balance across Europe. For Greece<\/a>, the consistently long hours highlight pressures within its labor market, shaped by both cultural expectations and economic realities.<\/p>\n For other nations, especially those with greater part-time flexibility, the data suggest alternative approaches to balancing productivity with personal well-being.<\/p>\n
\ud83c\uddec\ud83c\uddf7 Greece (20.9%)
\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\uddfe Cyprus (16.6%)
\ud83c\uddf2\ud83c\uddf9 Malta (14.6%)<\/p>\n
\ud83c\udde7\ud83c\uddec Bulgaria (2.5%)
\ud83c\uddf1\ud83c\uddfb Latvia (4.1%)
\ud83c\uddf7\ud83c\uddf4 Romania (5.9%)<\/p>\n