Cairo: Hani Kamal El-Din
Despite this increase in the volume of work, the economy continues to slow down in Germany. This is a sign that the number of working hours means little or nothing about the prosperity of a country. Otherwise Greece, which is the country where people work the most within the European Union with 41 hours per week, would be one of the richest nations in Europe. In reality, the number of working people in Germany has never been higher, but at the same time, working hours are decreasing. And compared to other European countries, it remains low. Women and men combined, Germans spend 34 hours and 42 minutes per week at work, while the European average is 37 hours. The reason is, in particular, the move to a four-day week in certain companies, but also because of the record rate of absenteeism linked to stress and depression. Last year there were 301 days of absence per 100 employees, which is 50% more than 10 years ago. Part-time work is also very widespread, with one in two women working part-time.