Here are some facts and figures for employment rates in every member state of the EU.

The countries with the highest proportion of people working (the lowest unemployment rates) are Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden and Britain. Those with the lowest proportion of people working (highest unemployment rates) are Poland, Malta and Hungary.

As you would probablty expect, the Nordic countries, Britain and the Netherlands have the highest rates of female employment. Malta, Italy and Greece have the lowest.

The British and the Austrians work the longest hours in Europe - both 42.4 hours per week. The laziest Europeans are the French (obviously), Belgians and Dutch.

http://epp.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/pls...2007-EN-AP.PDF

Not surprising so many have to get jobs in Western Europe.

Laziest? Wisest, more like. We're rich enough in Western Europe that you can live quite comfortably on a relatively small number of hours a week. I work 16, and I'm quite happy with my, richer than most people in the world, lifestyle. Too many people in the west are just obsessed with having more and more, and work stupid amounts of hours, making them miserable and stressed.

__________________
... I am surprised at your insolence in writing to me at all. You know, as I know, that I bought this constituency... may God's curse light upon you and may it make your women as open and as free to the excise officers as your wives and daughters have always been to me while I have represented your scoundrel corporation.
I have the honour to be... your obliged humble servant, Anthony Henley
- MPs reply to constituent, mid 1700s

Actually the lower working hours in France is a direct result of unemployment.

If you cut hours from 40hrs/week to 35/hrs/week how many more people are you going to employ, roughly?

1/8th more, or about 12.5% more.

Even with shorter work weeks France still has a high unemployment, this is indicative of economic weakness and industrial weakness in France.

Beware of beggars countries. Include Russia in EU for help. Some people can find job in Moscow not in London.

I agree. When unemployment level excides 10% government may sorten working week one hour making unemployment level below 10% again.

Overworking that's why I leave previous job.

Working 16 hours a week sounds about right if you're a student (for some odd reason that's what I'm guessing), but to work so little could easily be considered lazy. If you want to be able to relax, which I can totally agree on, why not work 24 or 32 hours a week? It's not a hectic work week, it's certainly manageable (at least if you're not in college), and it gives you that much more to live on OR to put away so that you can retire earlier/more comfortably. Unless you're getting an education right now I seriously doubt that 16 hours could be enough to live comfortably and make proper savings for future events.

But, of course, I don't know your whole story.

I wasn't a student when I was working those hours, I've stopped working now and I am now a student. When I was working 16 hours, I actually saved most of the money so that I can use it now when I am not working.
As to general living, my rent is £216 a month, plus about £20 for all the bills. Then we've got food costs, that's another £15 a week (I don't spend that much on food actually, but that gives me a bit more leeway to go and eat out once a week), so we're talking about £300 a month needed to live (that's about $600). I got paid £6.60 an hour to work on the Checkouts at ASDA (the British version of Wal-Mart). After NI it's just over £6. So I need to work 50 hours a month. Working 16 hours a week means I'm working about 70 hours a month, which gives me extra money to spend on going out, saving, or whatever.
And I should point out that most things in Britain are much more expensive than in America, as we have much more tax.

__________________
... I am surprised at your insolence in writing to me at all. You know, as I know, that I bought this constituency... may God's curse light upon you and may it make your women as open and as free to the excise officers as your wives and daughters have always been to me while I have represented your scoundrel corporation.
I have the honour to be... your obliged humble servant, Anthony Henley
- MPs reply to constituent, mid 1700s