Germany hours worked and labour volume
Germany hours worked and labour volume track the working time of all persons in work in the economy.
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| Indicator | Q2-2026 | Q1-2026 | Q4-2025 | Q3-2025 | Q2-2025 | Q1-2025 | Q4-2024 | Q3-2024 | Q2-2024 | Q1-2024 | Q4-2023 | Q3-2023 | Q2-2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hours worked and labour volume3 | ||||||||||||||
| Total labour volume2 | 14,376.76 | 15,732.57 | 15,488.55 | 15,612.06 | 14,446.15 | 15,762.32 | 15,621.56 | 15,758.47 | 14,672.53 | 15,764.93 | 15,479.65 | 15,669.27 | 14,591.3 | |
| Labour volume including side jobs2 | 12,899.85 | 14,138.32 | 13,914.33 | 13,984.39 | 12,927.44 | 14,123.26 | 13,997.92 | 14,073.83 | 13,090.69 | 14,074.49 | 13,805.63 | 13,933.38 | 12,971.48 | |
| Employee labour volume2 | 12,596.96 | 13,800.87 | 13,578.3 | 13,642.55 | 12,617.73 | 13,783.54 | 13,658.8 | 13,739.38 | 12,785.11 | 13,742.88 | 13,482.55 | 13,607.61 | 12,675.39 | |
| Full-time labour volume | 9,456.5 | 10,387.91 | 10,236.93 | 10,295.98 | 9,540.62 | 10,451.15 | 10,368.86 | 10,427.51 | 9,717.99 | 10,481.5 | 10,295.93 | 10,394.01 | 9,694.34 | |
| Part-time labour volume | 3,138.37 | 3,414.27 | 3,340.86 | 3,347.76 | 3,078.91 | 3,331.32 | 3,291.65 | 3,309.93 | 3,066.98 | 3,262.96 | 3,185.95 | 3,212.4 | 2,980.83 | |
| Side-job labour volume | 304.97 | 336.14 | 336.54 | 340.64 | 307.9 | 340.79 | 337.41 | 336.4 | 305.72 | 330.03 | 323.74 | 326.96 | 296.31 | |
| Self-employed labour volume | 1,476.91 | 1,594.24 | 1,574.22 | 1,627.68 | 1,518.71 | 1,639.06 | 1,623.64 | 1,684.63 | 1,581.85 | 1,690.44 | 1,674.02 | 1,735.89 | 1,619.82 | |
| Hours worked per person7 | ||||||||||||||
| Hours worked per employee | 299.4 | 329.4 | 320.5 | 323 | 298.8 | 328 | 321.8 | 325.1 | 302.9 | 327.5 | 318.3 | 322.7 | 301.3 | |
| Hours worked per full-time employee | 376.19 | 412.76 | 401.16 | 405.98 | 375.95 | 411.42 | 403.08 | 408.3 | 380.72 | 410.69 | 398.96 | 406 | 379.29 | |
| Hours worked per part-time employee | 185.31 | 204.08 | 198.3 | 198.37 | 182.71 | 200.43 | 196.86 | 197.92 | 183.83 | 198.46 | 192.49 | 193.91 | 180.55 | |
| Hours worked in side jobs | 66.22 | 73.71 | 71.74 | 72.96 | 67.63 | 74.64 | 72.68 | 73.03 | 68.17 | 73.52 | 70.93 | 72.17 | 67.38 | |
| Hours worked including side jobs | 306.6 | 337.5 | 328.4 | 331.1 | 306.1 | 336.1 | 329.8 | 333 | 310.1 | 335.4 | 325.9 | 330.4 | 308.3 | |
| Hours worked per self-employed person | 408.66 | 439.43 | 432.48 | 445.33 | 413.59 | 443.95 | 437.52 | 451.4 | 421.83 | 448.75 | 442.39 | 456.57 | 424.15 | |
| Hours worked per person in work | 314.7 | 345.6 | 336.7 | 340.2 | 314.7 | 344.8 | 338.5 | 342.6 | 319.3 | 344.7 | 335.5 | 340.9 | 318 | |
| Persons in work1 | 45,688 | 45,525 | 46,006 | 45,892 | 45,900 | 45,715 | 46,156 | 45,994 | 45,959 | 45,730 | 46,142 | 45,970 | 45,888 | |
| Self-employed and family workers | 3,614 | 3,628 | 3,640 | 3,655 | 3,672 | 3,692 | 3,711 | 3,732 | 3,750 | 3,767 | 3,784 | 3,802 | 3,819 | |
| Working-time components8 | ||||||||||||||
| Leave and other time off | 8.61 | 5.51 | 6.76 | 10.14 | 8.6 | 5.51 | 6.72 | 10.16 | 8.55 | 5.55 | 6.74 | 10.16 | 8.53 | |
| Sickness absence3 | ||||||||||||||
| Sickness absence rate | 5.28 | 6.09 | 6.14 | 5.62 | 5.2 | 6.46 | 5.87 | 5.66 | 5.29 | 6.89 | 6.73 | 5.37 | 5.08 | |
| Sickness absence in working days | 3.14 | 3.79 | 3.78 | 3.7 | 3.09 | 4.02 | 3.59 | 3.73 | 3.19 | 4.32 | 4.11 | 3.48 | 3.01 | |
| Sickness absence in working hours | 19.12 | 23.09 | 22.96 | 22.55 | 18.79 | 24.47 | 21.75 | 22.72 | 19.45 | 26.27 | 24.9 | 21.18 | 18.34 | |
| Overtime4 | ||||||||||||||
| Paid overtime per employee | 2.85 | 2.86 | 3.45 | 3.47 | 3.04 | 3.15 | 4.03 | 4.17 | 3.47 | 3.23 | 3.57 | 3.42 | 3.12 | |
| Paid overtime volume | 119.82 | 119.65 | 146.04 | 146.67 | 128.21 | 132.41 | 171.03 | 176.22 | 146.27 | 135.39 | 151.28 | 144.02 | 131.23 | |
| Unpaid overtime per employee | 4.27 | 4.11 | 4.59 | 4.36 | 4.44 | 4.44 | 5.23 | 5.2 | 5.19 | 4.81 | 5.11 | 4.71 | 4.66 | |
| Unpaid overtime volume | 179.58 | 172.07 | 194.39 | 184.31 | 187.48 | 186.39 | 221.81 | 219.72 | 219.04 | 201.7 | 216.54 | 198.54 | 195.97 | |
| Change in working-time accounts | -0.43 | -0.3 | 0.37 | -0.23 | -1.11 | -0.45 | 0.89 | 0.41 | -0.5 | -0.38 | 1.21 | 0.4 | 0.16 | |
| Short-time work5 | ||||||||||||||
| Short-time workers | 149.41 | 441.74 | 235.56 | 192.06 | 232.75 | 528.86 | 311.01 | 201.07 | 212.17 | 467.96 | 253.03 | 128.15 | 152.19 | |
| Work loss per short-time worker | 35.57 | 41.64 | 30.29 | 31.87 | 29.34 | 35.62 | 27.13 | 29.3 | 28.47 | 35.42 | 28.94 | 30.98 | 29.02 | |
| Lost hours per short-time worker | 110.55 | 143.8 | 100.6 | 108.42 | 91.38 | 122.5 | 89.48 | 99.63 | 90.67 | 122.11 | 94.71 | 103.95 | 90.97 | |
| Short-time work loss volume | 16.52 | 63.52 | 23.7 | 20.82 | 21.27 | 64.78 | 27.83 | 20.03 | 19.24 | 57.14 | 23.96 | 13.32 | 13.85 | |
| Short-time work effect | 0.39 | 1.52 | 0.56 | 0.49 | 0.5 | 1.54 | 0.66 | 0.47 | 0.46 | 1.36 | 0.57 | 0.32 | 0.33 | |
| Bad-weather effect | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Industrial-dispute effect | 0.02 | 0.03 | 0 | 0 | 0.01 | 0.06 | 0.04 | 0 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.02 | 0.02 | |
| Adjustment for calendar effects | 2.78 | 1.58 | 2.43 | -0.91 | 2.77 | 1.57 | 4.61 | -0.79 | -1.12 | 0.35 | 4.59 | 3.08 | 2.75 | |
| Employment and working-time structure4 | ||||||||||||||
| Usual weekly hours, all employees2 | 30.5 | 30.46 | 30.35 | 30.47 | 30.45 | 30.42 | 30.32 | 30.48 | 30.49 | 30.44 | 30.31 | 30.43 | 30.44 | |
| Usual weekly hours, full-time | 38.32 | 38.16 | 38 | 38.31 | 38.31 | 38.14 | 37.99 | 38.31 | 38.31 | 38.15 | 37.99 | 38.31 | 38.31 | |
| Usual weekly hours, part-time | 18.88 | 18.89 | 18.77 | 18.68 | 18.62 | 18.61 | 18.53 | 18.53 | 18.52 | 18.47 | 18.33 | 18.25 | 18.24 | |
| Employees2 | 42,074 | 41,897 | 42,366 | 42,237 | 42,228 | 42,023 | 42,445 | 42,262 | 42,209 | 41,963 | 42,358 | 42,168 | 42,069 | |
| Full-time employees | 25,137.82 | 25,166.68 | 25,518.27 | 25,360.58 | 25,377.09 | 25,402.37 | 25,724.14 | 25,538.84 | 25,525.4 | 25,521.64 | 25,806.95 | 25,601.14 | 25,559.29 | |
| Part-time employees | 16,936.18 | 16,730.32 | 16,847.73 | 16,876.42 | 16,850.91 | 16,620.63 | 16,720.86 | 16,723.16 | 16,683.6 | 16,441.36 | 16,551.05 | 16,566.86 | 16,509.71 | |
| Part-time rate | 40.25 | 39.93 | 39.77 | 39.96 | 39.9 | 39.55 | 39.39 | 39.57 | 39.53 | 39.18 | 39.07 | 39.29 | 39.24 | |
| Multiple jobholders | 4,605.2 | 4,560.29 | 4,691.42 | 4,669.09 | 4,552.49 | 4,565.55 | 4,642.29 | 4,606.46 | 4,484.66 | 4,489.03 | 4,564.34 | 4,530.44 | 4,397.73 |
Latest reading
The series on this page is quarterly and runs from Q1 1991 to Q2 2026. Source: Institute for Employment Research (IAB) of the Federal Employment Agency.
About this data
Germany hours worked and labour volume track the working time of all persons in work in the economy. The data covers the total labour volume and hours worked per employee, split by full-time, part-time, side jobs and self-employed. It details working-time components including leave, sickness absence, paid and unpaid overtime, and changes in working-time accounts. The Institute for Employment Research publishes these quarterly statistics in hours and days since 1991.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the latest figure for Germany hours worked and labour volume?
- Hours worked per employee stood at 299.4 hours in Q2 2026. That is −9.1% from Q1 2026 and +0.2% from a year earlier.
- How far back does the Germany hours worked and labour volume data go?
- The series on this page is quarterly and runs from Q1 1991 to Q2 2026. Source: Institute for Employment Research (IAB) of the Federal Employment Agency. Every series in the table can be charted over its full history and downloaded as CSV or Excel.
- What does the Germany hours worked and labour volume table measure?
- The Germany hours worked and labour volume table measures the total hours actually worked by all persons in work. It tracks both the aggregate labour volume in million hours and the average hours worked per employee.
- How is the German labour volume broken down?
- The Germany hours worked and labour volume data is broken down by employment type. It separates the labour volume of full-time employees, part-time employees, side jobs, and self-employed and family workers.
- Which working-time components are tracked in the German data?
- The German statistics track the various components that increase or decrease working time. These include leave and other time off, the sickness absence rate in days and hours, paid and unpaid overtime, and changes in working-time accounts.