At the end of 2022, the number of people in employment in Germany reached a new high. With around 45.9 million people in the fourth quarter, the previous record from the third quarter was exceeded, as reported by the Federal Statistical Office in Wiesbaden.
Compared to the previous quarter, the seasonally adjusted number of people in employment rose by 107,000 (plus 0.2 percent) in the period from October to December. An increase of 1.1 percent or 492,000 employees was recorded within one year. This was mainly due to an increase in employees subject to social security contributions. In contrast, the number of self-employed continued to decline.
The various service sectors also recorded the strongest growth at the end of the year. Manufacturing and construction recorded slight gains in employment. The number of people employed in agriculture, forestry and fisheries stagnated. This is the first time since the second quarter of 2014 that there has been no decline in this sector.
The volume of work done by everyone fell within a year by 0.5 percent to 15.4 billion hours. That was 335.9 hours per person in the fourth quarter (minus 1.5 percent). In addition to calendar effects, increased sick leave also contributed to this, explained the Wiesbaden authority.
