New figures from Eurostat show that the share of people in the EU working very long hours has continued to decline, though Ireland remains above the European average.

In 2024, just 6.6 per cent of employed people aged 20 to 64 in the EU reported usually working 49 hours or more per week in their main job.

That marks a steady fall from 9.8per cent in 2014 and 8.4 per cent in 2019, as concerns around work–life balance and labour protections have gained ground across Europe.

The Irish rate, however, stood at 7.7%, slightly higher than the EU average.

This puts Ireland closer to countries such as France (9.9 per cent) than to the lowest-ranking member states like Bulgaria (0.4 per cent), Latvia (1.0 per cent) and Lithuania (1.4 per cent).

At the top end of the scale, Greece (12.4 per cent), Cyprus (10.0 per cent), and France recorded the highest proportions of workers routinely clocking long hours.

A major factor is the divide between the self-employed and employees.

Across the EU, more than a quarter of self-employed people (27.5 per cent) reported working 49 hours or more each week, compared with just 3.4 per cent of employees.

Ireland, with a strong base of SMEs, freelancers, and professionals in sectors such as agriculture, construction, and tech consultancy, mirrors this pattern.

Occupation also matters.

Eurostat notes that skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers were most likely to put in long hours, with 26.2 per cent regularly exceeding the 49-hour threshold.

Managers also featured prominently, with 21.1 per cent reporting long working weeks – highlighting the demands of leadership and business ownership.

For Ireland, the findings may add fuel to ongoing debates about flexible work arrangements, productivity, and burnout.

While the trend across Europe points to shorter working weeks, the persistence of long hours among self-employed workers and managers suggests that cultural and structural factors – from client demands to global competition – still shape how Irish people work.

As policymakers and employers consider the future of work, the Eurostat data underlines the need for balance: ensuring that productivity and entrepreneurship are supported, while also protecting worker health and wellbeing.