Germans Work Less Than Most Other Countries: A Closer Look at Germany's Work Ethic
(Informal, Approachable, and Straightforward Style)
The Lowdown on Germany's Work Culture
Average German Work Hours Sometimes Fall Short, Research Suggests
Germany has been under fire for its alleged lack of work ethic, with the opposition CDU leading the charge. A recent study seems to support this, as Germany ranks third from last in terms of work hours among OECD countries. But hold on, because even though Germans seem to be slacking off, they've worked more hours than ever before!
#### Germans vs. the Rest of the World
According to a study by the Institute of the German Economy (IW), Germans work fewer hours than the residents of most other economic nations. In 2023, the average German worked around 1,036 hours per inhabitant of working age (15 to 64 years), which puts them in the third-lowest position among OECD countries. Only France and Belgium worked fewer hours than Germany—around 1,027 hours and 1,021 hours, respectively.
In comparison, New Zealand recorded the most working hours with around 1,402 hours, followed by the Czech Republic with about 1,326 hours and Israel with around 1,312 hours. Keep in mind that these numbers represent working hours per capita, so differences might change if you're looking at total working hours.
The Past and Present of Germany's Work Ethic
In 2013, Germans worked around 1,013 hours per inhabitant. Since then, there has been a notable increase, with workers putting in more hours than they did ten years ago. Despite this increase, the IW labor market expert, Holger Schäfer, pointed out that Germans still work less compared to the 1970s. However, since reunification, there has been a gradual rise in overall working hours.
#### Skilled Worker Shortage and the Call for More Work
Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz has recently called on Germans to work more due to the severe shortage of skilled workers in various sectors. Michael Hüther, the IW's President, echoed Merz's concerns, stating that the lack of skilled workers is a daily reminder, affecting businesses like restaurants, caregiving services, daycare centers, and small craft businesses. By the end of the decade, Germany could face a shortage of around 4.2 billion working hours.
The Impact of Part-Time Jobs and Gender
It's important to note that Germany records one of the highest part-time quotas among Western industrialized nations. In the fourth quarter of 2024, around 29.3% of the workforce was working part-time. Although Germany has poor childcare facilities in many areas, experts argue that an improvement in these facilities could encourage more women to work full-time and longer hours.
The employment rate of women has increased significantly over the years, with approximately 73.6% of women of working age now employed. In contrast, the employment rate of men has also been on the rise, reaching a record high of 80.8% in 2023.
Misconceptions Busted: The Myth of the Social Couch Potato
Contrary to popular belief, people receiving basic income are not turning into social couch potatoes. In fact, they tend to work more and donate more. In 2024, more than 61.3 billion working hours were recorded, breaking a historic record, with the number of employed people also reaching a record high of over 46 million. However, the number of working hours per capita has slightly increased over the years, but still pales in comparison to the increased employment rates.
In conclusion, Germany may be working fewer hours than many other countries, but their workforce remains robust and dynamic. With ongoing calls to work more due to the skilled worker shortage and the potential impact of better childcare facilities on employment rates, we'll have to keep our eyes on this fascinating aspect of German culture.
Sources:
- ntv.de
- als/AFP
Additional Insights:
- The OECD does not provide an explicit ranking of countries by average working hours per inhabitant of working age. general context indicates that among OECD countries, work hours vary widely, with some European countries like France and Germany typically having lower average annual working hours compared to others, reflecting stronger labor protections and work-life balance policies.
- For example, Paris (France) is cited as the city with the lowest working hours globally at about 1,663 hours per year, indicating France's typically lower working hours overall[2].
- In contrast, benchmark figures show that the OECD average of workers regularly working long hours is around 10%, with the Netherlands having only 0.5% working long hours, hinting that countries like Germany, France, and Belgium may fall in the lower range of working hours[5].
- Information for New Zealand, Czech Republic, and Israel was not specifically detailed in the search results. OECD data platforms may have exact statistics, but were not cited in the provided information[1][3][4].
- The recent call from Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz for Germans to work more, given the skilled worker shortage, may lead to a revision of the community policy, particularly in vocational training and education sectors, to equip more people with necessary skills for various businesses and industries.
- As Germany ranks third from last in terms of work hours among OECD countries, policymakers must consider the impact of work hours on finance as businesses in sectors such as restaurants, caregiving services, daycare centers, and small craft businesses could face restrictions due to the lack of skilled workers, potentially affecting the country's overall economic growth and general-news coverage.
