Albanians Work More Hours but Produce Less

TIRANA, September 14

 Even though official data confirm that Albanians are working harder than many other people in the world and Europe, with over 44 working hours per week, their productivity and wages remain low. Based on the data provided by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Albania has the longer average work week in Europe, while the EU member country with the most working hours per week is Greece with an average of 42 hours. On the other hand, Germany ranks last in the list of the EU countries with an average of 26.37 working hours per week.

According to the Albanian Labour Code, the normal working week is 40 hours. Yet, a survey conducted by the Institute of Statistics (INSTAT) during 2015 confirmed that the annual average work hours were 2,102 or about 44 working hours per week.

Those who work in the Albanian wholesale and retail sector have the longer work week. Although Albanians work more than they are paid less. INSTAT stats say that the average cost for unit labour is Euro 2.2, which is lower compared to Macedonia and Bulgaria.

Another finding of the survey confirms that the average productivity is low compared to the number of work hours due to the lack of technology and qualified labour force. According to experts, more investments in these two factors would have a positive impact on work productivity.

 News Source: Panorama