European employees work 40.3 hours per week

By Tuba Sahin

ANKARA

A full-time employee in the EU worked 40.3 hours a week on average in 2016, revealed Eurostat on Thursday.

"Denmark, with a working week of 37.8 hours, is the only country in which the normal number of working hours is less than 38," Eurostat said.

It was followed by Italy -- 38.8 hours --, the Netherlands and France -- both 39.0 hours.

A full-time employee in the U.K. spent the highest number of hours per week at their main job -- i.e. 42.3 -- in 2016.

"They are followed by those working in the Greek Cypriot administration -- 41.7 hours --, Austria -- 41.4 hours --, Greece -- 41.2 --, Poland and Portugal -- both 41.1," it said.

The latest figures showed that men had a longer working week than women, working on average 41.0 hours compared with 39.3 for women.

Employees in the mining and quarrying industry spent the longest hours at work -- 42 -- while the education sector recorded the shortest working week with 38.1 hours.

The data also revealed that on average, a full-time employee in Turkey worked 49.4 hours per week in 2016, the most when non-EU countries are taken into account.