Germany job vacancies at firms with 500+ employees
Germany job vacancies at firms with 500+ employees stood at 158.1 thousands 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany total | 1,023.4 | 1,153.2 | 1,259 | 1,039.8 | 1,058.4 | 1,158.4 | 1,568.3 | 1,278.8 | 1,375.2 | 1,597.4 | |
| 500 or more employees | 158.1 | 173.4 | 145.8 | 150.1 | 195.5 | 171.4 | 166.5 | 142.5 | 141.4 | 156.4 | |
| 1 to 9 employees | 269.1 | 325.4 | 379.8 | 276.9 | 238.3 | 281.5 | 434.6 | 284.9 | 362.1 | 452.5 |
Understanding germany job vacancies at firms with 500+ employees
Hiring volumes compiled in this series reflect unmet external labor demand at the largest operating sites, specifically establishments with 500 or more employees. The data cover all positions open to outside candidates, including roles registered with public labor agencies, published on corporate portals, or handled by executive recruiters. Openings at establishments with fewer than 500 workers are excluded, as are internal promotions, lateral transfers within the same firm, and jobs located at overseas subsidiaries. As the uppermost category in the size breakdown, this row isolates recruitment across large-scale individual workplaces such as major manufacturing complexes, central administrative hubs, and large hospitals.
A key consideration when interpreting this series is the distinction between an establishment and an enterprise. A large corporate group employing thousands of workers nationwide will only contribute to this series through individual workplaces that each have 500 or more workers on site, while its smaller branch offices are counted in lower size categories. Comparing quarterly figures with the corresponding period of the previous year provides a clearer indicator of underlying recruitment demand than quarter-on-quarter changes, which are affected by annual graduate hiring schedules and quarterly budgeting. Early estimates may be revised as statutory employment registrations update establishment universe weights.
Frequently asked questions
- If a large enterprise has many small branches across Germany, are its vacancies included here?
- Only vacancies located at specific workplace sites employing 500 or more workers are counted here, while its smaller branches appear in smaller size categories.
- Does this series include vacancies for executive and managerial personnel?
- Yes, all external vacancies across all skill and management levels are captured as long as the establishment meets the size threshold.
- Why are year-on-year comparisons recommended for large establishment vacancies?
- Comparing identical quarters across years neutralizes cyclical recruiting schedules such as graduate intake cycles and calendar-year corporate budget resets.