Ireland Long Working Hours Rate (2025)
Ireland's Long Working Hours Rate: 4.8 % of employed persons in 2025, -1.2pp YoY. Eurostat (LFSA_QOE_4A6R2), 2018–2025.
Ireland (2025)
4.8
% of employed persons
-1.2pp YoY
YoY Change
-1.2pp
percentage points
Trend
down
Series length
8
years of data
Data
| Year | % of employed persons | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4.8 | -1.2pp |
| 2024 | 6 | +1.3pp |
| 2023 | 4.7 | +1pp |
| 2022 | 3.7 | +1.2pp |
| 2021 | 2.5 | +0pp |
| 2020 | 2.5 | -0.3pp |
| 2019 | 2.8 | +0.1pp |
| 2018 | 2.7 | n/a |
About this Dataset
Ireland recorded 4.8% of employed persons usually working 49 or more hours per week in 2025, 2.6pp above the EU-27 average of 2.2%. The rate has risen from 2.7% in 2018.
Data sourced from Eurostat Labour Force Survey via SDMX REST API (LFSA_QOE_4A6R2, nace_r2=TOTAL). Values use harmonised LFS methodology.
The chart shows the full trend from 2018; the table lists annual values with year-on-year changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
In 2025, **4.8%** of employed persons in Ireland usually worked 49 or more hours per week, 2.6pp above the EU-27 average of 2.2%. This figure has been rising since 2018, when it stood at 2.7%.
The long working hours rate in Ireland has increased from 2.7% in 2018 to 4.8% in 2025. The EU-wide trend is gradually declining, driven by Working Time Directive enforcement, collective bargaining, and the growth of flexible work arrangements.
Ireland's rate of 4.8% in 2025 is 2.6pp above the EU-27 average. Among EU member states with available data, rates range from about 0.5% (Poland, Italy) to approximately 5.7% (Slovakia). Ireland's position suggests a higher-than-average prevalence of overwork, which may reflect sectoral composition, self-employment rates, or weaker working-time enforcement.
Eurostat publishes this indicator via the EU Labour Force Survey (LFS), dataset LFSA_QOE_4A6R2. It measures the percentage of employed persons aged 15 and over who report usually working 49 or more hours per week in their main job. The EU Working Time Directive (2003/88/EC) limits average weekly hours to 48, making this indicator a proxy for potential non-compliance and a key input to occupational health and ESG assessments.