London and New York may be fighting it out to be the world's financial centre, but it is financial professionals in tiny Luxembourg that work the longest hours in the world.

A survey released on Tuesday by financial recruitment firm Robert Half found that financial professionals in Luxembourg work on average 47 hours 36 minutes a week - 5.5 hours more than their British counterparts, who in turn overwork American pros by more than one hour.

But in a regional breakdown, Asia-Pacific financial pros top the hardest-working list, according to Robert Half's data. More financial workers in the region put in at least 46 hours a week and work every weekend than in either Europe or North America.

Traders in Japan, toiling on average only half an hour less a week than Luxembourg dealers, came a close second in the poll.

The United States ranked 15th with 40.9 hours. Globally, more than half of financial professionals say the amount of time they spend working has increased over the last two years, with workers from Hong Kong reporting the biggest rise. "Increasing globalisation and improved connectivity mean the traditional nine-to-five working day is fast becoming unrealistic," Robert Half researchers concluded.

They polled 2,283 professionals across 17 countries in March and April this year - before the U.S. subprime mortgages crisis rattled world markets and amplified workload and stress levels.

- Reuters