Germany secondary sector regular employees
Germany secondary sector regular employees stood at 9,215,762 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, Secondary sector, Absolute value | 9,215,762 | 9,360,773 | 9,424,522 | 9,399,944 | 9,344,316 | 9,394,764 | 9,479,355 | 9,348,736 | 9,146,276 | 9,027,621 |
Understanding germany secondary sector regular employees
Tracking formal employment specifically within manufacturing, construction, mining, and utility provision, this indicator isolates the industrial core of the labour market. It filters the total pool of employees subject to social security contributions down to those hired directly by enterprises classified within the secondary sector. Because it focuses strictly on regular, insured payrolls, it excludes independent tradespeople, informal site labourers, and notably, temporary agency workers deployed to factories but technically employed by service firms.
Reviewing annual averages removes the heavy seasonal distortions typical of construction work, ensuring year-on-year assessments accurately reflect deeper industrial cycles. The dataset undergoes regular backward revisions as enterprise classifications are updated or when late payroll submissions clear the administrative backlog. Statistical breaks frequently arise from updates to the overarching industrial classification system, which can artificially shift entire cohorts of jobs into or out of this category. Analysts should note that structural outsourcing can distort this metric; when a manufacturer replaces internal logistics staff with an external contractor, this line drops even if the physical work remains on the factory floor.
Frequently asked questions
- If a factory hires temps through an agency, are they counted here?
- No, temporary agency staff are classified under the sector of the agency, which falls outside this industrial grouping.
- Does this include independent contractors working in construction?
- Independent contractors are omitted because this series strictly covers personnel subject to mandatory social security contributions.
- How does outsourcing affect the secondary sector employment count?
- Outsourcing shifts jobs to external service providers, causing a statistical decline in this measure without necessarily reducing the overall industrial workforce.