The number of hours doesn't tell the whole story though. Working cultures differ a great deal. You may put in longer hours, but then it's more laidback, with more socializing etc. whereas somewhere else it's clock-in, work, clock-out, no fooling about.
I didn't say I think that. If anything, I hinted at it as a possibility worth considering (not phrased as extremely as "US jobs are generally laid back").
It should be looked into if you want to put things in perspective.
In Germany business culture is certainly one of more intense focus, at least in office jobs. Not that it's representative of the whole Europe, of course.
Still, raw numbers don't say the whole story. That's why such findings should be taken with some distance.
