After decades of significant growth, Germany’s working hours per capita have recently seen a slight decline. While 2023 recorded a record high of 28.8 hours per week for both men and women combined, calculations by the Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB), based on the Microcensus, showed that in 2025 the value was 0.4 hours lower. This reduction corresponds roughly to 460,000 fewer full-time positions.
The decrease in working hours has been particularly sharp among men, as well as those in younger and middle adulthood. Conversely, working hours among older age groups have increased.
Between 2005 and the beginning of the 2020s, labor hours per capita experienced a protracted upward trend. The recent downturn was more pronounced for men than for women. Men peaked in 2019 with 33.5 hours per week, only to drop to 32.6 hours in 2025. According to Harun Sulak, a research associate at BiB, “Economic slowdowns typically bring with them a reduction in labor time per capita, and this is currently being observed.”
However, the immediate impact of the current downturn is less severe than in previous economic weak periods, such as the post-reunification era or the early to mid-2000s. This moderation is partly due to the stability of working hours for women, who have generally maintained their levels near 24 hours per week. Sulak explains that the labor market situation contributes to this, noting that serious skill shortages persist, especially in education, childcare, and healthcare, particularly nursing. Since women are highly present in these growing sectors, the economic weakness is mitigated for them compared to men.
Different patterns emerge when examining age brackets. While the average working hours per capita declined for younger and middle-aged adults (ages 25-54), the hours logged by those over 60 continued to rise. This contrasting trend is partially attributable to the gradual increase in the retirement age, which has led to higher employment participation among the elderly.
Similarly, education level reveals distinct shifts. Those with lower levels of education experienced the steepest decline in working hours per capita, whereas highly qualified individuals saw a much smaller reduction. The causes behind this decline also differ. For those with lower education, the drop was primarily driven by fewer people being employed. For more highly qualified workers, however, the reduction was mainly due to a decrease in the weekly hours worked by those who remained employed, a trend amplified by an increase in men utilizing parental leave and part-time arrangements.
Sebastian Klüsener, the research director at BiB, emphasized the continued importance of this metric. He stated that “the number of employed persons will continue to decrease due to aging in the coming decades. Labor time per capita highlights the extent to which we are actually utilizing our existing employment potential, and its significance will grow in the future.”
