Never before have so many people been employed in Germany as this summer. Despite the current economic downturn, more than 46 million people were working.
Despite the economic downturn, the number of employed people in Germany rose above the 46 million mark for the first time in the third quarter. From July to September, 46.04 million people were employed, as the Federal Statistical Office announced today. “The number of employed people reached a new historical high,” it said.
The previous high was 45.96 million and was reached at the end of 2022. “At the same time, the 46 million threshold for a quarterly result was exceeded for the first time since German unification,” said the statisticians.
economic slowdown leaves traces
Europe’s largest economy is threatened with a recession: in the third quarter, gross domestic product shrank by 0.1 percent – mainly because consumers held back on consumption due to a loss of purchasing power. The slump is also leaving its mark on the labor market. Adjusted for seasonal fluctuations, the number of employed people increased only slightly by 7,000 compared to the previous quarter.
In the first and second quarters there were strong increases of 127,000 and 89,000 respectively. Although the development continues to be positive, “the growth momentum has slowed significantly,” emphasized the statisticians.
More jobs at service providers
Service providers in particular hired in the summer. Here, the number of employed people rose by 299,000 or 0.9 percent compared to the same quarter last year. The largest absolute employment gains were recorded by public service providers, education and health with 124,000 people (plus 1.0 percent). This is followed by trade, transport and the hospitality industry with 75,000 (plus 0.7 percent). In information and communication, employment increased by 2.3 percent to 35,000 people.
There were also more jobs in industry (plus 0.2 percent) and construction (plus 0.8 percent). For the first time in a good eleven years, the number of self-employed people and family members helping out did not decline: at 3.9 million people, the number again reached the level of the previous year’s quarter.
Who counts as employed
According to a definition from the International Labor Organization (ILO), the Federal Statistical Office counts people aged 15 and over who have a job or are employed for at least one hour a week as employed people.
The self-employed are taken into account, as are family members who help without a salary, as well as soldiers and people who do voluntary work.