The stereotype that Greeks do not work as much as their fellow Europeans is rebutted again by two recent reports that show exactly the opposite: Greeks work more hours and take fewer sick days compared to their northern European counterparts.
Data from Eurostat’s report shows that Greeks work more hours per week (39.9), than anyone else in the European Union. The number of hours Greek workers punch in is higher than the Netherlands’ 32.2 hours, Austria’s 33.6 hours and Germany’s 34 hours.
At the same time, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) reports that Greeks take only four sick days per year on average, while Norwegians exceed 25 and Germans 15.
Despite long working hours, Greeks’ productivity remains low
Despite working long hours, the labor productivity among Greeks remains low. According to the recent OECD report, this is due to lack of technological modernization and a lack of high-value investments.
In May, a similar OECD report ranked Greece last in terms of productivity levels among European OECD members and fourth from bottom among OECD members overall.
Yet Greece recorded the second-lowest sick leave rate in the European Union at 3.10%, just behind Romania. Norway leads with a 17.10% absenteeism rate, followed by Sweden and Finland. Northern European countries have high absenteeism rates due to comprehensive welfare systems and an aging population, whereas Greeks fearing a job loss and because of a rise in teleworking have lower absenteeism rates.
The stereotype of the “lazy Greek”
Greeks may be the hardest working in the European Union, yet they are paid far less than most. According to recent Eurostat figures, the average annual adjusted salary for full-time workers in Greece is among the lowest in the 27-member bloc, standing at 17,000 euros in 2023. This places Greece third from the bottom, with only Bulgaria (13,500 euros) and Hungary (16,900 euros) reporting lower figures.
Greece went through its worst financial crisis in the years between 2010 and 2018, which inflicted severe salary, benefits and pension cuts on the entire population, most of which remain in place to this day. It was during this time that the stereotype of the “lazy Greek” gained enormous traction and was often perpetuated by international media and even foreign politicians.
Some experts say that the label describing Greeks as “lazy” was a subtle manipulation of national characteristics aiming to prove that the fallout of the global crisis that started in 2008 was “Made in Greece.”
Sandro Scocco, chief economist for Stockholm-based think tank Arena Ide, said that the idea was launched by politicians in order to “justify being tough on the Greeks.” “Using simple and erroneous explanations to single out scapegoats does not bode well for the future, or for the EU,” he wrote in a post for the Social Europe blog.
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