Long usual weekly working hours — Employment in European Union (27 countries)

European Union (27 countries): Long usual weekly working hours — Employment was 12,843 Persons in 2025. ▬ Flat

Latest (2025)
12,843 Persons
Change on year
down 3.9%
Rank
2nd
of 11 regions
All-time high
35,781 Persons
in 1997
All-time low
8,638 Persons
in 1984
Years of data
43
1983–2025

Long usual weekly working hours — Employment in European Union (27 countries), 1983–2025

10.0k20.0k30.0k40.0k1983200420251983: 9.2k Persons1984: 8.6k Persons1985: 9.2k Persons1986: 9.1k Persons1987: 13.9k Persons1988: 14.3k Persons1989: 15.1k Persons1990: 15.0k Persons1991: 15.4k Persons1992: 15.1k Persons1993: 19.0k Persons1994: 19.4k Persons1995: 23.3k Persons1996: 23.8k Persons1997: 35.8k Persons1998: 33.6k Persons1999: 32.6k Persons2000: 34.0k Persons2001: 33.8k Persons2002: 22.2k Persons2003: 23.2k Persons2004: 20.3k Persons2005: 20.9k Persons2006: 20.9k Persons2007: 20.8k Persons2008: 20.8k Persons2009: 19.9k Persons2010: 19.5k Persons2011: 19.2k Persons2012: 18.7k Persons2013: 18.2k Persons2014: 17.9k Persons2015: 17.6k Persons2016: 17.5k Persons2017: 17.0k Persons2018: 16.6k Persons2019: 16.3k Persons2020: 14.6k Persons2021: 14.6k Persons2022: 14.8k Persons2023: 14.1k Persons2024: 13.4k Persons2025: 12.8k Persons

Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Persons.

Analysis

In 2025, long usual weekly working hours — employment in European Union (27 countries) stood at 12,843 Persons.

The figure is down 3.9% on the previous year and down 27.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, long usual weekly working hours — employment in European Union (27 countries) peaked at 35,781 Persons in 1997 and was at its lowest, 8,638 Persons, in 1984.

Long usual weekly working hours — Employment in European Union (27 countries), year by year

Annual values for Long usual weekly working hours — Employment in European Union (27 countries), 1983 to 2025.
Year Persons Change
1983 9,241 Persons
1984 8,638 Persons -6.5%
1985 9,229 Persons +6.8%
1986 9,101 Persons -1.4%
1987 13,925 Persons +53.0%
1988 14,303 Persons +2.7%
1989 15,146 Persons +5.9%
1990 15,039 Persons -0.7%
1991 15,359 Persons +2.1%
1992 15,141 Persons -1.4%
1993 19,048 Persons +25.8%
1994 19,414 Persons +1.9%
1995 23,279 Persons +19.9%
1996 23,766 Persons +2.1%
1997 35,781 Persons +50.6%
1998 33,642 Persons -6.0%
1999 32,636 Persons -3.0%
2000 34,045 Persons +4.3%
2001 33,845 Persons -0.6%
2002 22,207 Persons -34.4%
2003 23,231 Persons +4.6%
2004 20,254 Persons -12.8%
2005 20,912 Persons +3.2%
2006 20,879 Persons -0.2%
2007 20,834 Persons -0.2%
2008 20,838 Persons +0.0%
2009 19,892 Persons -4.5%
2010 19,521 Persons -1.9%
2011 19,184 Persons -1.7%
2012 18,698 Persons -2.5%
2013 18,213 Persons -2.6%
2014 17,932 Persons -1.5%
2015 17,642 Persons -1.6%
2016 17,454 Persons -1.1%
2017 17,043 Persons -2.4%
2018 16,630 Persons -2.4%
2019 16,306 Persons -2.0%
2020 14,607 Persons -10.4%
2021 14,635 Persons +0.2%
2022 14,758 Persons +0.8%
2023 14,143 Persons -4.2%
2024 13,359 Persons -5.5%
2025 12,843 Persons -3.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 11,369 Persons 8,638 Persons 15,146 Persons 7
1990s 23,311 Persons 15,039 Persons 35,781 Persons 10
2000s 23,694 Persons 19,892 Persons 34,045 Persons 10
2010s 17,862 Persons 16,306 Persons 19,521 Persons 10
2020s 14,057 Persons 12,843 Persons 14,758 Persons 6

Countries ranked near European Union (27 countries)

  1. 1 OECD 75,837 Persons compare
  2. 2 Namibia 30,135 Persons compare
  3. 3 Indonesia 27,418 Persons compare
  4. 4 Mexico 14,632 Persons compare
  5. 5 Brazil 10,154 Persons compare

See the full ranking of 56 places →

More work & labour data for European Union (27 countries)

All data for European Union (27 countries) →

Frequently asked questions

What is long usual weekly working hours — employment in European Union (27 countries)?
Long usual weekly working hours — employment in European Union (27 countries) was 12,843 Persons in 2025, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
What is the highest long usual weekly working hours — employment recorded in European Union (27 countries)?
The highest recorded value was 35,781 Persons in 1997.
What is the lowest long usual weekly working hours — employment recorded in European Union (27 countries)?
The lowest recorded value was 8,638 Persons in 1984.
How does European Union (27 countries) rank for long usual weekly working hours — employment?
European Union (27 countries) ranks 2nd out of 11 regions with data for 2025.
Is long usual weekly working hours — employment rising or falling in European Union (27 countries)?
Over the last ten years it is down 27.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this European Union (27 countries) data come from?
The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Long usual weekly working hours — Employment. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Long usual weekly working hours — Employment in European Union (27 countries). Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 22 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/long-usual-weekly-working-hours-employment/european-union-27-countries/

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About this data

Indicator
Long usual weekly working hours — Employment
Unit
Persons
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
56 places, 1,768 data points, 1976–2025
Last refreshed

This dataset contains data on employment by long hour bands (50 and over, 60 and over) for usual weekly hours worked in the main job. Actual hours of work instead of usual hours of work are only available in some countries (Japan and Korea). Data are broken down by professional status - employees, total employment - by sex and age groups. Detailed notes and sources can be found in LFS_NOTES_SOURCES. In order to facilitate analysis and comparisons over time, historical data for OECD members have been provided over as long a period as possible, often even before a country became a member of the Organisation. Information on the membership dates of all OECD countries can be found at OECD Ratification Dates.