A Dublin Foundation’s review of developments in the length of working time in 2002 and 2003 finds that average collectively agreed weekly working time in the current European Union (plus Norway) remained relatively stable at around 38 hours. Across the EU and Norway, agreed normal annual working time averages around 1,700 hours.

Of three sectors examined, agreed weekly hours are highest in metalworking, followed by local government and banking. Average collectively agreed paid annual leave entitlement rose slightly to 26.5 days in 2003. In the EU acceding and candidate countries, average collectively agreed working time is considerably higher, at nearly 40 hours a week and over 1,800 hours a year.

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