Around Germany and Greece there were other countries. They went by names like frugal four and PIIGS. They forced "austerity" and stricter working hours onto indebted countries to save their own banks.
The colours on this map show well that northern "productivity" is not about working hours, but about other topics that did not get addressed. Among these topics are also tax heavens (think the Netherlands) and money laundering (think Austria's special relationship with Russia).
So it was nothing more than poor political leadership without vision.
Am Greek. Working 44 hours on average (40 during winter, 48 during the summer).
Many in the tourism industry, which brings in 13% of Greece's GDP, work for over 50 hours on average for 6 months, then they work mostly uninsured labor jobs in the winter, so that map only gives you half the truth.
Yeah, that 'hours of work in main' job really does something here.
I mean the guy working three part time jobs would clock in maybe 20ish hours on the main job but maybe 60 overall.