Germany regular employees, temp agency work
Germany regular employees, temp agency work stood at 556,322 Number in 2025, according to Deutsche Bundesbank. It is one of the indicators in the Labour market (annual) table (Value · Annual), with a complete series running from 2008 to 2025. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Labour market (annual) table
| Indicator | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employed persons according to ESA 2010, Domestic concept, Absolute value | 45,878 | 45,960 | 45,909 | 45,622 | 45,041 | 44,965 | 45,291 | 44,878 | 44,290 | 43,686 | |
| Employees subject to social security contributions, Total, Absolute value | 34,962,851 | 34,934,486 | 34,790,058 | 34,507,359 | 33,897,417 | 33,579,123 | 33,518,289 | 32,964,195 | 32,234,350 | 31,508,445 | |
| Employees subject to social security contributions, N 78.2, N 78.3 Hiring out of labour, Absolute value | 556,322 | 614,862 | 687,241 | 721,472 | 701,869 | 660,163 | 750,569 | 840,020 | 868,421 | 834,456 |
Understanding germany regular employees, temp agency work
Personnel explicitly employed by businesses classified under N 78.2 and N 78.3 for the hiring out of labour form the entirety of this category. These individuals are fully subject to social security contributions through their agency contracts, yet they execute their daily tasks at external client sites across various industries. Isolating this cohort from the broader service sector provides a direct gauge of flexible, contingent workforce utilization, distinguishing indirect staffing strategies from the direct hires seen in the secondary and tertiary series.
Averaging these figures over twelve months absorbs the sharp, short-term contract cycles inherent to agency work, presenting a stable base for year-on-year analysis. The administrative records feeding this aggregate are routinely revised to account for rapid employee turnover and delayed de-registration of finished contracts. A major analytical trap is assuming these workers actually perform service sector duties; a massive portion of this group physically operates in manufacturing or logistics. Consequently, this line is often studied as an early-warning indicator for the broader labour market, as enterprises tend to scale back agency contracts before altering their core, direct headcounts.
Frequently asked questions
- Are these workers considered part of the manufacturing sector if they work in a factory?
- Statistically they belong to the agency, meaning they are excluded from the secondary sector count regardless of where they perform their duties.
- Do these temporary workers pay regular social insurance?
- Yes, they hold formal contracts with their respective agencies that mandate standard social security contributions.
- Why is this specific subset analyzed separately from the rest of the workforce?
- It acts as a barometer for labour market flexibility, as companies typically adjust external agency staff before changing direct employment levels.