According to new statistics from Eurostat, the average working week in the EU for both full-time and part-time workers was 36 hours last year, a decrease of one hour compared to 2014.
Sweden deviates from the average with a decrease of twelve minutes – and stands out significantly compared to neighboring countries. The average working week in Sweden is still just below the EU average with 35.7 hours, including both full-time and part-time workers.
In Finland, working hours have become almost 1.5 hours shorter per week and almost two hours shorter in Denmark.
Belgium and Luxembourg have shortened their working weeks by a whole 2.5 hours – and are thus among the countries that have reduced working hours the most. At the other end are Cyprus and Lithuania, which have both increased the average working hours by twelve minutes.
The statistics apply to people between 20 and 64 years old and include both full-time and part-time workers – and show large differences between EU countries.
Greece has the longest working week at almost 40 hours, while the Netherlands has the shortest at around 32 hours.
Maja Steen Danielsson/TT
Facts: Working hours in Sweden and neighboring countries
TT
Average working week 2024 for both full-time and part-time workers between 20 and 64 years old, according to the survey:
Sweden: 35.7 hours
Finland: 34.9 hours
Denmark: 33.9 hours
Norway: 33.7 hours
Source: Eurostat
