Hungarian employees work the third highest number of hours per year in the European Union, while wages and leisure time still remain below the EU average.

Working longer than the EU average

According to Eurofound’s 2024 report, Hungarian workers put in an average of 1,832 hours per year, ranking behind only Estonia (1,848) and Slovakia (1,840).

The EU average is 1,722 hours, meaning a Hungarian employee works more than a hundred hours a year longer than a Western European colleague — roughly two and a half weeks of additional work.

At the bottom of the list are the French, who work just 1,575 hours annually, thanks to collective agreements and the 35-hour workweek. They are followed by the Danes and Germans, who also spend fewer than 1,700 hours a year at work.

Long hours in Eastern Europe

In Central and Eastern Europe, collective wage agreements have little influence on working hours. In many places, the legal maximum — 40 to 48 hours a week — is considered the norm. Flexible or part-time employment is rare, and overtime is a daily reality.

working hours in Hungary EU labor statistics 2024
Annual working hours (excluding public holidays and paid leave). Source: Eurofound

Workers often do not stay longer by choice: they cite tight deadlines, staff shortages, and the need for extra pay as reasons. The Eurofound data takes into account holidays and paid leave.

When it comes to employee rights, significant differences remain across the EU. While in France or Germany workers are entitled to 25–30 days of paid vacation, in Hungary the legal minimum is 20 days, with only a few extra days granted based on age. This not only shortens rest periods but also undermines work–life balance in the long run.

The effect of the Hungarian work culture

Longer hours do not necessarily lead to greater prosperity. Many Hungarians feel that despite working long weeks and weekends, their pay does not reflect their effort. Overtime is often not an option but a condition for survival — especially in industrial and service sectors where staff shortages force workers to bear the system’s burden.

While work–life balance has become a major topic in Western Europe, in Hungary it is rarely discussed. The culture of “always on” work remains dominant.

According to the Randstad Workmonitor 2024, 93% of Hungarian employees say work–life balance is just as important to them as salary, and 83% expect flexible working hours.

Yet little improvement is visible in workplace conditions, and the long-term effects are increasingly clear: fatigue, burnout, and migration are all signs of a system built on constant pressure rather than employee well-being.

The extended working hours mean less rest, while wages still fail to reflect the effort invested. According to Eurostat, the average hourly labor cost in Hungary was EUR 14.1 in 2024, compared with the EU average of EUR 33.5.

On average, Hungarians work more than most Europeans — but earn significantly less.

Featured image: depositphotos.com