Overview

• The German industry eliminated 101,000 positions in the past year, reducing employment to 5.46 million by the end of the first quarter.
• The automotive sector accounted for roughly 45,400 of the job losses as manufacturers grapple with plunging sales, competition from China and the shift to electric mobility.
• Since 2019, industry headcount has fallen by 217,000, marking a 3.8 percent decline from pre-pandemic levels.
• EY analysts expect at least 70,000 additional industry jobs to disappear by the end of 2025 if current trends persist.
• Industry leaders and the VDA are urging the government to cut bureaucracy, lower costs and strengthen domestic demand to restore competitiveness.