Germany employment, full-time employees
Germany employment, full-time employees stood at 25,137.82 thousands in Q2 2026, according to Institute for Employment Research (IAB) of the Federal Employment Agency. It is one of the indicators in the IAB working time accounts table (Value · Quarterly), with a complete series running from Q1 1991 to Q2 2026. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the IAB working time accounts table
| Indicator | Q2-2026 | Q1-2026 | Q4-2025 | Q3-2025 | Q2-2025 | Q1-2025 | Q4-2024 | Q3-2024 | Q2-2024 | Q1-2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employees | 42,074 | 41,897 | 42,366 | 42,237 | 42,228 | 42,023 | 42,445 | 42,262 | 42,209 | 41,963 | |
| Full-time employees | 25,137.82 | 25,166.68 | 25,518.27 | 25,360.58 | 25,377.09 | 25,402.37 | 25,724.14 | 25,538.84 | 25,525.4 | 25,521.64 | |
| Part-time employees | 16,936.18 | 16,730.32 | 16,847.73 | 16,876.42 | 16,850.91 | 16,620.63 | 16,720.86 | 16,723.16 | 16,683.6 | 16,441.36 |
Understanding germany employment, full-time employees
Dependent workers holding standard full-time contracts across the domestic economy are tallied in this series. The scope is limited strictly to employees whose contractual hours meet or exceed full-time criteria, leaving aside part-time personnel, mini-jobbers, and independent self-employed operators. Within the employment structure hierarchy, this headcount represents the primary component of dependent employment and forms the direct counterpart to part-time staffing. Because full-time posts account for the preponderance of standard working hours, this group provides the core foundation for aggregate macroeconomic labour volume.
Tracking full-time payroll headcounts offers insight into structural labour demand, as employers typically alter full-time headcount more conservatively than flexible staffing. Unadjusted quarterly data reflect seasonal recruitment patterns, making year-on-year comparisons the most dependable way to track secular hiring or workforce contraction. Comparing this headcount with the total employee aggregate reveals structural shifts in the composition of domestic employment. Users should recognize that full-time employment numbers can decouple from total hours worked during periods when overtime varies or short-time work schemes reduce operational hours without terminating contracts. Initial quarterly prints are provisional and face revisions as statutory social security registration files are compiled over time.
Frequently asked questions
- Does this series include employees temporarily on short-time work?
- Yes, employees on subsidized short-time work remain counted as full-time employees because their underlying employment contracts remain active.
- What is the main analytical difference between this series and total employees?
- This series filters out part-time and marginal workers to focus exclusively on standard full-time payroll employment.
- How does a change in full-time employment impact overall labour volume?
- Because full-time personnel work substantially longer weekly schedules than part-time personnel, a change in full-time headcount has a much larger effect on total hours worked than an identical change in part-time headcount.