Nicosia: Cyprus is among the European Union countries where employees work the longest hours Specifically 16.6% of employees aged 20-64 worked more than 45 hours per week. This percentage places Cyprus among the highest in the EU, where the average stands at just 10.8%.
According to Cyprus News Agency, at the European level, Cyprus follows only Greece (20.9%) and precedes Malta (14.6%), while the lowest rates were recorded in Bulgaria (2.5%), Latvia (4.1%), and Romania (5.9%). These figures highlight the differences in working conditions among member states, with Cyprus standing out for its long working hours.
Meanwhile, 72.3% of employees in the EU work between 20 and 44 hours per week, while part-time employment (up to 19 hours) is more widespread in countries such as the Netherlands (26.8%) and Denmark (25.5%).
The data are based on the EU Labour Force Survey (EU-LFS) and cover the total number of working hours, including overtime, in both primary and potential secondary employment.