The Top Global Cities for a great work life balance

Ever wondered where in the world you need to work so that you can achieve the best work-life balance?

In a newly compiled piece of research revealed by Europe’s leading marketplace Expert Market, Paris is the destination workers should head to as the city in which you are most likely to achieve the best ‘work-life’ balance.

According to the report, there are 13 cities around the globe where the working population have the ultimate balance between their free and working time. The site compiled information about cities around the world, taking into account statistics such as how many days holiday and how many hours are worked before creating the final ranking.

Of the 13 cities listed, all are located in Europe, with a total of 12 countries represented. France is the only country from which there are two cities featured. No British cities have made the grade.

The top cities are: Madrid, Amsterdam, Munich, Brussels, Vilnius, Luxembourg, Copenhagen, Milan, Vienna, Helsinki, Moscow, Lyon and Paris. Overall, the report highlights that Employees in the higher ranked metropoles are averaging only 30.8 hours a week.

Bottom of the list, coming in at number 13, is Madrid where Spanish workers clock up 33.28 hours each working week despite the country’s reputation for its afternoon siestas.

Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, famous for being one of Europe’s most relaxed cities, comes in at 33.20 hours. People in Amsterdam work on average 1,726 hours each year, 165 less than the global norm.

Mid way up the ranking is Luxembourg, which as one of Europe’s tiniest countries, does seem to have workers who are pretty unperturbed about how much they work, spending 1,703 hours per year in the workplace, and enjoying 31 days holiday.

Copenhagen, which is known for its high living standards, comes in at number 7 which sees workers putting in 32.64 hours. This city’s success is perhaps attributable to a relaxed attitude to work, with the average worker toiling 11.4% less hours than the global mean.

It’s our nearest European neighbours France, which has the top two cities on the list. Workers in Lyon enjoy a good balance, working 1,630 hours a year, and taking typically 28.5 days holiday.

Finally it’s Paris that tops the list with its workers averaging 30.84 hours. Parisians are the most easy going population of workers of any major metropolis, working under 31 hours each week. That’s almost 18% fewer hours than the typical global figure. The recent passing of a law which gives staff the right to simply ignore email out of working hours further cements the city’s status as a leader in work-life balance.

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