Increased per-person work hours reach a new peak in Germany
In a significant shift in Germany's labor market, the average weekly working hours per capita have reached a record high, according to the Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB) in Wiesbaden. This trend is primarily attributed to an increase in women's employment, which has expanded overall labor force participation and thus total hours worked.
Over the past three decades, the proportion of employed women in Germany has increased by almost a third. Women, on average, were working over 24 hours per week in 2022, a marked increase from the 19 hours per week they worked in 1991. This significant increase in the proportion of employed women has more than offset the increase in part-time work.
While men's average paid weekly working hours in Germany are nine hours more than women's, there has been minimal change in men's working hours over the past few decades. Men in Germany work an average of 2.6 hours less per week compared to three decades ago.
The current average weekly working hours per capita of the German population stands at nearly 29 hours per week. This is the highest level since German reunification. The increase in the average weekly working hours per capita is mainly due to the rise in women's employment.
Research director Sebastian Klüsener of the BiB explained the balance between the increase in male employment and the decrease in weekly working hours. While in Germany the typical workweek per full-time worker remains around 36 to 40 hours, reflecting a balanced work-life approach, the growth in employment—driven notably by women—raises total hours summed across the population.
This trend illustrates changing social roles, labor market demands, and policies that encourage extended workforce participation, especially by women. Key reasons for this trend include increased female labor force participation, economic and institutional factors, stable individual working hours combined with more workers, and no contradiction with headline unemployment rises.
BiB director Katharina Spieß advocates for family policy reforms, including the expansion of childcare, to help balance the demand for increased workforce participation with the need for family-friendly policies. The call to have Germans work more has been made repeatedly lately, but it seems that the increase in working hours is more due to societal changes than explicit policies encouraging longer work weeks.
It's important to note that the BiB did not provide specific data on men's current average weekly working hours. However, the data suggests that the total effect of the increase in male employment and the decrease in weekly working hours is that men's average working hours today are similar to what they were 30 years ago.
Sources: - ntv.de, mpa/AFP - BiB research and data
- To address the growing labor force participation and maintain a balance between work and family life, family policy reforms such as expanding childcare should be considered, as proposed by BiB director Katharina Spieß.
- In addition to increased female labor force participation and societal changes, vocational training programs could play a significant role in further shaping the future workforce and potentially provide an alternative to long working hours, particularly for women seeking to reconcile career and family responsibilities.
