The rhythm of the working week in Cyprus remains more demanding than the European Union average, with new Eurostat data highlighting a clear divergence between the island’s labour market and the rest of the bloc.

According to the statistical office’s employment report for 2025, the average actual weekly working hours for individuals in Cyprus stood at 37.7 hours.

This figure places the island above the EU average, where workers aged 20 to 64 logged a mean figure of 35.9 hours in their main job during the same period.

Indeed, Eurostat’s latest statistics show a broad downward trend in labour duration across the bloc, with the average falling from 36.9 hours in 2015.

Across the EU, Greece recorded the longest working weeks at 39.6 hours, followed by Bulgaria and Poland at 38.7 hours, and Lithuania at 38.4 hours.

At the other end of the spectrum, the Netherlands maintained the shortest working week at 31.9 hours, closely followed by Denmark and Germany at 33.9 hours and Austria at 34.0 hours.

Analysis of employment sectors shows that skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers had the longest commitment at 42.0 hours per week.

Managers followed in second place with 40.6 hours, while members of the armed forces occupations logged 39.4 hours.

Conversely, the most limited schedules were observed in elementary occupations which averaged 31.8 hours per week.

Clerical support workers recorded a 34.0 hour average, while service and sales workers operated on a 34.5 hour week.

This shift in employment patterns reflects ongoing changes in how the European labour force balances professional obligations, as well as the significant disparity between different industries and member states.

The persistence of long hours in the agricultural sector contrasts sharply with the shorter working arrangements prevalent in northern European economies.