The Christmas period in the UK is a time when many take an extended time away from work. There are many professions that need to work over this period – nurses, train drivers, police, as examples – but many businesses close down.
An assessment by resume builder CVMaker shows which industries in the UK are likely to have the most time off over Christmas, with the real estate sector (or ‘estate agents’) ranking fifth.
The study analysed data from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings to identify which sectors have the shortest and longest average working weeks, as well as how this differs between genders across each industry, revealing which employees will have the longest festive breaks.
On average, UK workers across all industries put in 39.1 hours per week. For women alone, the average work week is 37.8 hours, while the average for men is 39.8 hours.
Real estate sector findings
The real estate sector has the fifth-shortest average working week in the UK, meaning workers in this industry are among those most likely to have a longer Christmas break. Women in real estate work an average of 37.3 hours per week, while men work an average of 38.8. Overall, employees in this industry work an average of 38.1 hours per week, which is 3% less than the UK average of 39.1 hours.
The top five industries with the shortest working weeks in the UK
| Industry | Average Weekly Hours | Total People Employed | Average Weekly Hours: Men | Average Weekly Hours: Women | |
| 1 | Education | 35.2 | 2,649,000 | 35.8 | 34.8 |
| 2 | Financial and insurance activities | 36.0 | 1,015,000 | 36.2 | 35.8 |
| =3 | Professional, scientific and technical activities | 37.6 | 1,837,000 | 38.1 | 36.9 |
| =3 | Other service activities | 37.6 | 305,000 | 38.3 | 36.9 |
| 4 | Information and communication | 38.0 | 1,070,000 | 38.1 | 37.6 |
| 5 | Real estate activities | 38.1 | 304,000 | 38.8 | 37.3 |
Gender differences in weekly working hours
On average, women work fewer hours than men in every sector, with the gap ranging from 0.4 hours in financial services to 3.5 hours in construction.
The education sector offers the shortest working week for both men (35.8 hours) and women (34.8 hours). Women in education work the fewest hours of any group studied.
Which careers offer the least time off over Christmas?
The top five industries with the longest working weeks in the UK
| Industry | Average Weekly Hours | Total People Employed | Average Weekly Hours: Men | Average Weekly Hours: Women | |
| 1 | Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 42.7 | 112,000 | 43.7 | 40.2 |
| 2 | Transportation and storage | 42.0 | 932,000 | 42.8 | 38.8 |
| =3 | Construction | 41.3 | 864,000 | 41.9 | 38.4 |
| =3 | Water supply and waste management | 41.3 | 199,000 | 42.2 | 38.1 |
| 4 | Accommodation and food service activities | 40.4 | 622,000 | 41.2 | 39.5 |
| 5 | Administrative and support service activities | 40.1 | 1,048,000 | 41.1 | 38.5 |
Nicky Klaasse, CEO ofCVMaker, tells Digital Journal: “This study offers valuable insights into which industries might offer better work-life balance, especially over the Christmas period. The education sector stands out with significantly shorter working hours than other industries, which may explain why it attracts so many people despite offering a lower salary.”
Klaasse adds: “The consistent pattern of women working fewer hours across all sectors raises questions about workplace flexibility and the ongoing impact of caring responsibilities, such as childcare availability. For job seekers considering a career change, understanding these industry norms can help set expectations and inform decisions.”
A stand-out concenr is gender, as Klaasse observes: “The largest gender gaps in working hours appear in traditionally male-dominated industries like construction and transportation, while sectors with more balanced gender representation tend to have smaller differences.”
