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Switzerland ranked the hardest-working country in Europe

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Switzerland ranked the hardest-working country in Europe
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On average, the average Swiss worker works 42 hours and 24 minutes a week - the highest rate in Europe.

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Switzerland is ahead of Iceland, where the average worker works 42 hours and 6 minutes. 

The figures are for the calendar year of 2019, relate to full-time workers and have been compiled by the Swiss Federal Statistical Office

The results also show that Swiss workers are working a little less than they did previously - although only slightly. 

The average working week for Swiss workers has decreased by 15 minutes per week since 2014. On the whole, Swiss workers worked 7.6 billion hours in 2019 - compared with 7.9 billion in 2014. 

The figure is much lower however than previous decades, where the Swiss worked on average 45 hours per week in 1975. 

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The average for everyone across Switzerland - including non-workers - is 23 hours and 12 minutes, bettered only by Iceland with 30 hours and 12 minutes. 

The reason for this is Switzerland’s comparatively low rate of unemployment. 

Self-employed work the most

Breaking down work hours on the basis of the type of work, the figures show that Switzerland’s self-employed and freelancers work the longest hours - at an average of 51 hours per week. 

For people who own their own company but have employees, the figures are slightly less - 48 hours per week on average. 

Workers in family businesses average 46 hours per week, while regular employees average 42 hours per week in Switzerland. 

Apprentices work on average 31 hours peer week. 

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