Germany employee compensation per hour worked
Germany employee compensation per hour worked stood at 123.25 EUR in 2025, according to Deutsche Bundesbank. It is one of the indicators in the National accounts (annual) table (Value · Annual), with a complete series running from 1991 to 2025. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the National accounts (annual) table
| Indicator | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wages, labour costs and productivity | |||||||||||
| Compensation of employees per hour worked by employees, Whole economy | 123.25 | 116.96 | 111.71 | 104.86 | 100.99 | 100 | 96.01 | 92.53 | 89.4 | 86.73 | |
| Gross wages and salaries per employee, Whole economy | 126.2 | 120.8 | 114.9 | 107.9 | 103.3 | 100 | 100.2 | 97.2 | 94 | 91.5 |
Understanding germany employee compensation per hour worked
Total employer outlays for their workforce, divided by the exact time staff spend actively on duty, form the basis of this measure. It covers both gross wages and the social contributions paid by the employer, such as health and pension scheme payments, capturing the total statutory and voluntary retention costs. By dividing the total remuneration by hours actually worked, this metric accounts for part-time schedules, overtime, and unpaid absences. This distinguishes it sharply from per-employee statistics, which treat a part-time worker and a full-time worker as equal units regardless of their shifting shift patterns.
Evaluating the true cost of labour over time through this series means adjusting expectations for cyclical fluctuations in working hours. State-subsidised short-time work schemes alter the hourly cost calculation if the total compensation outlays decouple from the drop in actual hours worked. Comparing year-on-year figures filters out the predictable calendar effects of public holidays and summer vacation seasons. Analysts must avoid confusing this total compensation measure with the take-home pay of workers, as it includes mandatory employer taxes that never reach the employee's bank account.
Frequently asked questions
- Are employer contributions to statutory pension schemes included?
- Yes, the metric captures the total cost to the business, including all mandatory and voluntary social contributions made on behalf of the staff.
- Does this series treat part-time and full-time workers differently?
- By dividing the total payroll by exact hours worked, it naturally weights the labour input of part-time and full-time staff without treating them as equal headcounts.
- How do short-time working schemes affect this measure?
- State interventions subsidise wages while actual hours worked drop, artificially distorting the calculated hourly cost to the employer during the intervention period.