Work intensity is an essential determinant of stress in modern working environment. In this study the association of quantitative demands (amount of work and pace of work) as well as qualitative demands (complexity and quality) and several outcomes like health, performance, health complaints and motivation was examined. Additionally, recommendations for work design were derived. A systematic literature analysis was conducted in several databases which led to the inclusion of 294 studies. In doing so, the study is based on a definition of work intensity by Trägner (2006). The systematic literature analysis includes only studies that have been published in the last ten years. A further criterion for inclusion was that studies focus on samples of service and knowledge work. The associations of quantitative demands and the studied outcomes indicate small- to medium-sized effects. However, the effects in cross-sectional studies are stronger than in longitudinal studies. Furthermore, the strong heterogeneity of the study results must be considered and discussed. The recommendations for work design are categorized according to condition-related and person-related approaches. Predominantly, there are recommendations for the indirect design of work intensity. This focuses mainly on the expansion of resources, such as increasing decision latitude or improving behavior in dealing with high working intensity.