Newsroom
If you’re clocking in around 38 hours a week in Cyprus, you’re pretty much sticking to the same grind as last year and just a bit above the European average.
That’s according to new numbers from Eurostat, the EU’s stats office. Cyprus workers averaged 38 hours weekly in 2024, almost the same as 2023’s 38.4 and slightly up from 37.8 hours back in 2014.
Across the EU, the average workweek is a little shorter at 36 hours. But don’t let that fool you, there’s a big difference depending on where you live and what you do.
In Greece, Bulgaria, Poland, and Romania, people are working the longest weeks, almost 40 hours or more. Meanwhile, in places like the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany, and Austria, folks are wrapping up their workweek closer to 32 to 34 hours.
So where do most of those hours go? The hardest hit sectors are farming, fishing, and forestry, both in Cyprus and the rest of Europe, where people put in over 40 hours a week. Construction and mining aren’t far behind.
Here in Cyprus, hospitality workers and those in households hiring staff also clock in long weeks, with some putting in over 40 hours regularly. Meanwhile, teachers, office workers, and those in arts and entertainment tend to have shorter weeks.
What does this mean for the average worker? Well, if you’re in one of the tougher sectors, chances are you’re putting in long hours with hard work to match. And with the steady hours over the years, it looks like, for many, the work routine isn’t changing much.
On the bright side, those in sectors with shorter hours might have a bit more breathing room, though whether that means less stress or just less pay is a whole other story.
