Despite Germany’s tepid economy, people worked more hours in Germany in the second quarter of 2024 than ever before, according to new figures released on Tuesday. The volume of work rose to 14.7 billion hours, exceeding the level before the coronavirus crisis for the first time, according to the Institute for Employment Research (IAB), the research arm of Germany’s Federal Employment Agency. “Never before has so much work been done in Germany – in the middle of an economic downturn,” said IAB labour market researcher Enzo Weber. In the second quarter of 2019, 14.6 billion hours were worked. “H…