France average worked hours per week and job SA-WDA
France average worked hours per week and job SA-WDA stood at 31.1 hours worked in Q2 2026, according to INSEE – Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques (BDM). It is one of the indicators in the Unemployment and employment (labour force survey) table (Value · Quarterly), with a complete series running from Q1 2014 to Q2 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Unemployment and employment (labour force survey) table
| Indicator | Q2-2026 | Q1-2026 | Q4-2025 | Q3-2025 | Q2-2025 | Q1-2025 | Q4-2024 | Q3-2024 | Q2-2024 | Q1-2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employment rate | |||||||||||
| Average number of worked hours per week and job - data adjusted for seasonal variations and calendar effects | 31.1 | 31.1 | 31.3 | 31.1 | 31.2 | 31.2 | 31.1 | 31.2 | 31.1 | 31.3 | |
| ILO employed persons (employment rate) - Women aged 55 to 64 years - SA data | 60.4 | 60.5 | 60.7 | 59.7 | 59.9 | 59.6 | 59 | 59.1 | 58.5 | 58.3 |
Understanding france average worked hours per week and job SA-WDA
Calculating the average volume of time actually spent on the job per week across all employed individuals, this metric incorporates adjustments for both seasonal fluctuations and calendar anomalies such as differing numbers of working days or public holiday placements. It covers all job categories, including both full-time and part-time positions, capturing contractual hours alongside compensated overtime and excluding statutory leave or strikes. This aggregate differs from employment headcount series by reflecting the intensity of labor utilization rather than simply the number of people holding work.
Interpreting this metric requires accounting for calendar quirks that shift public holidays across quarters, making the calendar-adjusted series superior for tracking underlying operational changes. Revisions can occur when administrative reporting lags are resolved or survey estimation models are recalibrated. Analysts should avoid equating drops in this average with rising unemployment, as shorter working weeks often reflect collective agreements or part-time shifts rather than job losses.
Frequently asked questions
- Does this average include unpaid overtime hours worked by employees?
- Only paid hours and formally recorded working time are factored into the average calculation.
- How do public holidays affect the weekly average calculation?
- Calendar adjustments normalize the data to remove distortions caused by holidays falling on weekdays.
- Are the self-employed included in these average working hours?
- Yes, self-employed workers who report their usual and actual hours are incorporated into the overall average.