Türkiye leads Europe in weekly working hours

According to recent data from Eurostat and the Turkish Statistical Institute, Türkiye has once again recorded the longest weekly working hours in Europe. In 2023, Türkiye surpassed its European counterparts with an average weekly working time of 44.2 hours, maintaining its position at the top of the list for consecutive years.

While the average weekly working hours in Germany are 34 hours, employees in 27 European Union countries spend 36.1 hours per week at their workplaces. In Türkiye, this duration is over eight hours longer, at 44.2 hours.

Türkiye continues its tradition of having the highest working hours in Europe. Since 2006, every year’s data shows Türkiye ranking among the top in weekly working hours in Europe.

After Türkiye, the longest working hours are observed in Serbia, with 41.7 hours. Bosnia and Herzegovina have a weekly working time of 41.4 hours, while Greece has 39.8 hours. The Netherlands has the fewest working hours in Europe; in 2023, Dutch workers averaged 32.2 hours. Austria and Norway follow the Netherlands.

Workers in Türkiye also have an undesirable leadership position in terms of overtime hours. According to data, 27.2% of employees in Türkiye worked 49 hours or more per week in 2023. In Iceland, this rate is 13.8%.

Despite long working hours, Türkiye’s minimum wage is among the lowest in Europe. In Europe, the highest gross minimum wage is 2,571 euros ($2,797.36) in Luxembourg and 2,146 euros in Ireland. In Germany, the monthly income for minimum-wage workers is 2054 euros. In Türkiye, the gross monthly income of minimum wage earners is ₺20,002 ($621.18), which is equivalent to 572.4 euros. The net minimum wage is 486.5 euros.