Gabriel Schembri

Malta has registered the highest increase in expected length of working life in Europe, a report has shown.

According to the Eurostat report, the expected length of working life increased in nearly all EU Member States, with Malta high up in the list with an increase of 5.1 years. Hungary follows with 4.5 years and Lithuania with an increase of 4.2 years of work.

The report compares how the expected working life increased in the last years. In 2016, people in the European Union could be expected to work for an average of 35.6 years, up by 1.8 years compared with 2006. Over this 10-year period, the 'duration of working life' increased more rapidly for women, from 30.6 years in 2006 to 33.1 years in 2016. As for men, the 36.9 years of expected working life in 2006 has now increased to 38 years.

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The 'duration of working life' indicator measures the number of years a person, aged 15, can expect to be active in the labour market, either employed or unemployed, throughout his/her life.

The statistics show that the registered increase was mainly due to the female participation and duration in the work force. The length of time a woman could be expected to work rose between 2006 and 2016 in all EU Member States (except in Romania), notably in Malta with 9 years, Lithuania with 4.6 years and Spain with 4.4 years.

In contrast, the 'duration of working life' for men dropped in five Member States: Cyprus (-2.4 years), Greece (-1.4 years), Ireland (-1.1 year), Spain (-0.8 year), and Portugal (-0.5 year).

The report also shows that across the EU Member States, in 2016 Sweden had the longest expected average working life with 41.3 years. Denmark and the Netherlands followed with 40.3 years and 40.0 years respectively. In all Member States except in Latvia and Lithuania, the 'duration of working life' was expected to be longer for men than for women in 2016.