Germany agriculture, forestry and fishing job vacancy rate
Germany agriculture, forestry and fishing job vacancy rate stood at 1.6% in Q2 2026, according to Institute for Employment Research (IAB), Eurostat and KfW Research / ifo Institute. It is one of the indicators in the Job vacancies and skilled labour shortage table (Value · Quarterly), with a complete series running from Q4 2010 to Q2 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Job vacancies and skilled labour shortage table
| Indicator | Q2-2026 | Q1-2026 | Q4-2025 | Q3-2025 | Q2-2025 | Q1-2025 | Q4-2024 | Q3-2024 | Q2-2024 | Q1-2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Job vacancy rate by industry, NACE Rev. 2.1 (Eurostat) | |||||||||||
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 1.6 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.4 | 3 | 2.7 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 3.3 | |
| Mining and quarrying | 0.8 | 2 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 0.6 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 1.2 | 2.1 |
Understanding germany agriculture, forestry and fishing job vacancy rate
Vacancies in primary food production and forestry are benchmarked against total sector posts in this NACE Rev. 2.1 Section A series from Eurostat. The metric calculates unfilled job openings as a proportion of total labour demand, which combines occupied paid positions with open vacancies within agricultural and fishery enterprises. It leaves out post-harvest food processing, timber manufacturing, and retail food trade, which belong to downstream industrial and commercial sections. By isolating primary extraction of biological resources, this series separates farm and woodland recruitment from secondary manufacturing and tertiary service demands across Germany.
Interpreting quarterly figures requires strict reliance on year-on-year comparisons against the identical quarter of the prior year, as biological growing seasons and harvest schedules generate heavy seasonal swings. Consecutive quarter-to-quarter movements primarily reflect weather cycles and crop calendars rather than structural shifts in labour shortages. Historical data points may experience revisions during statistical updates to enterprise sample registers. When comparing this rate with overall national figures, analysts should account for the widespread use of short-term seasonal contracts that do not always mirror year-round employment contracts.
Frequently asked questions
- Are downstream food processing and packaging plants included in this rate?
- Food and beverage manufacturing activities are classified under manufacturing rather than primary agriculture, forestry and fishing.
- How do seasonal harvest schedules influence quarterly vacancy figures?
- Agricultural staffing requirements fluctuate during planting and harvest periods, necessitating year-on-year comparisons to evaluate underlying employment trends.
- Does the indicator cover seasonal and short-term agricultural workers?
- Vacancies for seasonal posts are counted if establishments are actively seeking external personnel to fill open positions during the survey reference period.