Study: German industry lost nearly half a million jobs since 2019 - Sarmad
IFO Institute data shows the German industry lost approximately 496,000 jobs since 2019, while non-production sectors grew.
Translated by Qiyas from سرمد — Original source
Data from Germany’s IFO Institute for Economic Research showed that the German industrial sector has lost approximately half a million jobs since 2019, amid a noticeable increase in employment in other sectors. A report by Joachim Ragnitz, head of the institute’s Dresden branch, released on Monday, stated that industrial employment fell by 496,000 people by the end of 2025 compared to the beginning of 2019, a decline of 7.1%.
According to IFO data, car manufacturers eliminated 123,500 jobs since 2019, metal processing firms cut 115,600 positions, and machinery construction plants shed 64,500 jobs. Ragnitz estimated that these three sectors account for about 60% of total industrial job losses.
The report noted that 243,000 people who had obtained their jobs through temporary employment agencies in Germany were laid off, many of whom worked in the industrial sector.
In contrast, the non-production sector, particularly health care, government administration, and social services, experienced rapid job growth, with 2.2 million new positions created in this sector between the beginning of 2019 and the end of 2025.
Ragnitz emphasized that the new jobs are not emerging in sectors where Germany is characterized by high productivity and innovative capacity. He said, “Germany is undergoing rapid structural change, and ironically, it is the sectors that have sustained our prosperity so far that are shrinking.” He warned that this trend could lead to a slowdown in the country’s economic growth.
