For several years, Coe-Rexecode has asked Eurostat to calculate precisely the number of hours actually worked in the European Union Member States for each different categories of workers and for the different economic sectors. 2015 data confirms France’s peculiar position in the EU.

The last Eurostat’s European Union “Labour force survey” provides new data on actual working time of european workers for 2015. This survey corroborates Coe-Rexecode’s previous findings on the country’s peculiar position in the EU.

Average annual number of hours actually worked by French full-time employees lowest of the EU

In 2015, the average number of hours actually worked by a French full-time employee was 1,646 hours. Between 2013 and 2015, the gap has widened between France and its main European trade partners. In 2015, Italian full-time employees have worked 130 additional hours, Spaniards 165 additional hours, Dutch 185 additional hours while the Brits have worked 228 additional hours in comparison to French full-time employees.

While in 2013 France was ranked 27th for the average annual number of hours actually worked by full-time employees in the EU and, thus, still ahead of Finland (ranked 28th), it is now at the tail-end.

Average number of hours actually worked by French full-time employees in the non-market sector below overall French average

Looking at the data for French full-time employees across the different economic sectors, it appears that the duration is close to the overall mean in the industrial sector and in the construction sector and well above in commercial services (1,718 hours). The number of hours actually worked for full-time employees is however well below average in the non-market sector with 1,569 hours.

Average number of hours actually worked by French part-time employees above the EU average

The annual average number of hours actually worked by French part-time employees reached 981 hours in 2015, equivalent to almost 60% of the full-time employees’ average and 6% more than the European average. The French part-time employees work more than their counterparts in Germany (889 hours, 48% of a German full-time employee) and in the UK (873 hours, 47% of a British full-time employee), but less than Italian part-time employees (1,017, 57% of an Italian full-time employee).

Average number of hours actually worked by French independent full-time workers one of the highest in the EU

The annual average number of hours actually worked by French independent full-time workers reached 2,335 hours in 2015. This amount is down by 38 hours since 2013 but is the highest of the EU with the exception of Belgium. The working duration ratio between full-time independent workers and full-time employees is of 42% in France, 26% in Germany, 21% in Italy and only 8% in the UK.

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