According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's (OECD) Better Life Index, employees in the Grand Duchy are able to find a suitable balance between work and daily living.

Luxembourg was ranked 10 out of 36 by the survey, with 3.5% of employees found working fifty hours or more a week on average - significantly less than the OECD average of 13%. In an analysis of the country's gender inequality, based on a score of meaning that there are equal conditions regardless of gender, the Grand Duchy was ranked 2.55, with 5% of men working very long hours against 2% of women. The country was also found very gender equal with regards to amount of time devoed per day to leisure and personal care, including sleeping and eating, which stood at around 15.1 hours and earned the country a gender inequality score of 1.02.

The study explained how an employee's family is particularly affected by them struggling to find a delicate balance between work and personal commitments, demonstrating the need for governmenets to implement flexible working practices. According to the OECD, "long work hours may impair personal health, jeopardise safety and increase stress". Consequently, ensuring that adequate time is set aside for personal care or leisure can bring with additional physical and mental health benefits.

Almost 66% of people aged 15 to 64 in Luxembourg have a paid job, placing the country just above the OECD average of 65%. The country was also slightly higher than the OECD average of 75% in terms of adults who have completed upper secondary education, which stands at 78% of 25-64 year-olds, with the study linking good education and skills to job search success. However, the Grand Duchy came in below the OECD average of 497 for the average PISA student score in reading literacy, maths and science, at 490. Although a general analysis of OECD countries showed that girls tended to outperform boys, this was not the case in Luxembourg where boys scored 3 points higher than girls on average.

Overall, Denmark was found to have the best work-life balance, with just 2% of workers spending more than 50 hours per week at their job and extensive childcare and financial benefits for families with young children securig the country's position at the top of the list.

 

Photo by OECD