There can be a long debate about what it means to be lazy or hardworking. But what can be answered, for example: Do Germans today want to work more or less than before? Until 2009 it was desired weekly working hours stable between 34 and 35 hours.

In the years up to 2023 the desired working hours then dropped to 30.6 hours. The value fell significantly, especially after the corona pandemic. This is shown by an annual survey of 34,000 private households in Germany by the Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP), a long-term study by the DIW research institute.