A significant portion of the German workforce regularly works beyond the hours stipulated in their employment contracts, according to data released Thursday by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). Approximately 4.4 million employees averaged more working hours in 2024 than specified in their agreements, representing 11 percent of the total 39.1 million individuals employed.
Men were marginally more likely to work extra hours than women, with 13 percent of male employees reporting overtime compared to 10 percent of female employees.
The prevalence of overtime work varied considerably across different sectors of the economy. The industries with the highest incidence of additional hours were financial and insurance services, where 17 percent of employees worked beyond their contracted hours and the energy supply sector, at 16 percent. The hospitality sector demonstrated the lowest rates, with only 6 percent of employees working overtime, followed by the provision of other economic services, such as security and cleaning, at 8 percent.
While many employees experience a limited amount of overtime, the extent of additional hours varies. Nearly half (45 percent) reported working fewer than five overtime hours on average per week. A substantial majority (73 percent) worked less than ten additional hours weekly. However, a notable 15 percent of those working overtime reported performing at least 15 extra hours per week.
The additional hours can be compensated in different ways: through paid overtime, unpaid overtime, or accrued into a working time account for later reimbursement. Of those who worked beyond their contracted hours in 2024, approximately one in five (19 percent) worked unpaid overtime, while 16 percent received compensation for their extra hours. The majority (71 percent) utilized a working time account to manage the additional hours worked. Frequently, these forms of compensation were combined.