In Germany, a growing number of employees have been working longer than the statutory 40‑hour week. According to answers from the Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs to a question from the Left party, the “Rheinische Post” reports in its Thursday edition that, in 2023, 48.4 % of workers logged an actual weekly time between 40 and 48 hours. By comparison, 47.5 % did so in 2021.
A more striking fact is that 10.5 % of workers spent more than 48 hours each week on the job. The study from the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Occupational Medicine (BAuA) shows that men (14.1 %) are affected by these “overlong” hours more than women (6.3 %).
At the same time, 56.5 % of employees said they would prefer to reduce their actual working hours-an all‑time high that dates back to 2015. Conversely, only 7.9 % would like to work longer.
Linke Bundestag deputy Anne Zerr, spokesperson for labour and working‑time policy, criticised the current debate on longer hours as a political distraction. “Instead of addressing the structural causes of Germany’s economic problems, the chancellor is offering simple explanations and blaming workers” she said. “This mistrust of the people who keep our society running is unacceptable”.