Germans work 40.2 hours per week, on average

Full-time employees in Germany worked an average of 40.2 hours per week in 2024, in line with the EU average of 40.3 hours, new data from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) has found.

According to the data, over the past decade, working hours have shown a slight decline – in 2014, the average German worked 41.5 hours per week, while in the EU, the total was 41.3 hours.

Part-time workers

At the same time, however, the working hours for part-time workers have increased, to 21.8 hours per week in 2024, up from 19.3 hours in 2014. Across the EU, there was an increase from 20.6 to 22.0 hours per week during the same period.

These developments have had a modest impact on overall weekly working hours, with the combined average for all workers in Germany decreasing from 35.6 to 34.8 hours, lower than the EU average of 37.1 hours.

According to data from the European Labour Force Survey, some 29% of Germany’s workforce aged between 15 and 64 worked part time, with only the Netherlands (43%) and Austria (31%) having higher part-time employment rates.

Close to half (48%) of women in Germany worked part-time, the data showed, compared to 12% of men. This compares to 28% of women and 8% of men at an EU level.

A decade earlier, in 2014, some 27% of German workers were in part-time roles, with 9% of men and 46% of women working part time.

Overall employment

In terms of overall employment, some 77% of the population aged between 15 and 64 were employed in Germany last year, above the EU average of 71%.

‘Compared to 2014, employment in Germany increased – at that time, just under three-quarters (74%) were employed,’ Destatis noted. ‘The increase was somewhat more pronounced among women (from 70% to 74%) than among men (from 78% to 81%). Across the EU, employment increased even more significantly during the same period: from 64% to 71%. For men, it increased from 69% to 75%, and for women from 59% to 66%.’ Read more here.