Germans work fewer hours than all Europeans, while, by contrast, Poles and Greeks are the hardest workers, according to figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published by the Neuer Zürcher Zeitung. In all countries, however, working hours have fallen since 2000.

NZZ speaks of a “declining willingness to work” among Europeans, pointing to the Germans as the most prominent example, as their working hours have been reduced in 2022 to 1,301, 76 fewer than 23 years ago. In Austria, working hours have been reduced by 151 in the same period and in Switzerland by 131, while in Greece by 80, but still almost 400 more than the Germans. The Germans are also ‘champions’ in terms of sick leave, with 25 days per year, far more than the EU average of 14, or the Swiss’ 9 and the British’ 6. The Swiss newspaper also highlights the fact that, according to the World Health Organisation, while during the pandemic Germans missed an average of 20 days of sick leave per year, after the pandemic sick leave days, instead of decreasing, increased. Moreover, a worker in Germany has 31 days of holiday per year, while a worker in Switzerland has 26. “No wonder Germany is again considered the weakest country in Europe, given the state of its economy,” the newspaper comments.

According to NZZ, a cultural change is evident in Europe, with a shift towards personal leisure and off-work ambitions. At one level, it points out, it is a sign of prosperity that, for example, a worker in Switzerland can afford to work 40% less than a worker in Poland. At the same time, it is clear that ‘work is not as efficient as it should be’. In many countries, for example when it comes to families, extra work often translates into a net loss of income due to high taxation. Sweden has recognised the problem and reduced rates for families from 53% to 32%, encouraging many to return to full-time work, while at the same time Germany imposes 41% and Switzerland 26%. For low-wage earners, the situation in Germany is even more discouraging for more work. An unmarried worker without children, with earnings at two-thirds of average income, loses 45% of his earnings in taxes, while the equivalent worker in Switzerland loses 22%, in France 33% and in Sweden 29%.

The tendency to work less is also exacerbated in Germany, according to NZZ, by generous welfare benefits, which decrease as a worker’s income increases, creating an economic disincentive to work more. The continuous reduction in working hours is worrying, NZZ argues, as it increases labour costs, undermining competitiveness. “Without the necessary reforms, the country risks a visible erosion of its prosperity,” the author notes, adding to this the fact that in the next decade there will be more people leaving the labour market than entering it.

“Due to the different statistical methods, it is difficult to compare the work performance of different countries on the basis of working hours alone,” Holger Schaeffer from the German Institute of Economics (IW) clarifies to BILD, but he points out that “it is certain that in Germany we have a higher proportion of workers than in other countries, but these workers work less, so we are not reaching our potential, and that is problematic.” Are Germans lazy? “Not necessarily, but each individual weighs the benefits of work, i.e. their own well-being and the loss of leisure time. Many few people will work less if it’s not economically worth it,” Schaeffer replies, and also calls for reforms, warning that “unless policy changes quickly, prosperity in Germany is seriously threatened.”