Overview

• Gesamtmetall reported almost 14,000 positions cut in June, bringing losses in the sector to 76,000 for the first half of the year.
• Since January 2023 the industry has lost 154,000 jobs, and employment stood at about 3.82 million in June, down 104,000 from a year earlier.
• Gesamtmetall’s chief economist Lars Kroemer identified high energy costs, taxes, social contributions and bureaucracy alongside US tariff measures as central drivers of the downturn.
• The association estimates each eliminated job costs Germany more than €100,000 in value added, resulting in nearly €25 billion less economic output compared with 2019.
• Employers’ calls for a comprehensive reform agenda underscore their push for policy changes to restore the sector’s international competitiveness.