New apprenticeship contracts in Western Germany
New apprenticeship contracts in Western Germany stood at 401,115 Contracts in 2025, according to Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB). It is one of the indicators in the Apprenticeship market by occupational area table (Value · Annual), with a complete series running from 2022 to 2025. The complete series with an interactive chart, free to download.
This indicator in the Apprenticeship market by occupational area table
| Indicator | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Germany, all occupations | 475,950 | 486,261 | 489,183 | 475,143 | |
| Western Germany, all occupations | 401,115 | 411,084 | 414,459 | 402,192 | |
| Eastern Germany and Berlin, all occupations | 74,835 | 75,177 | 74,724 | 72,951 |
Understanding new apprenticeship contracts in Western Germany
This territorial measure tallies fresh vocational agreements registered with businesses situated across the western federal states. Assignment depends entirely on the location of the employing enterprise rather than where the trainee resides or attends classroom sessions. It includes all certified dual occupations within the western boundaries while omitting contracts signed in the eastern states and Berlin. Unlike the overarching nationwide total, this series highlights recruitment activity within the western training market, capturing initial vocational placements while omitting purely academic tracks and school-administered courses.
Evaluating changes on an annual basis provides the truest signal of enterprise recruitment demand, as seasonal concentrations around the autumn school-leaving window are absorbed into each yearly sum. Initial releases may undergo moderate upward revisions as administrative registries record delayed filings submitted after the formal closing date. Analysts should avoid blending this flow indicator with regional headcounts of job-seeking youth, as commuting across federal state boundaries means contracts signed at western workplaces can be filled by trainees residing in other jurisdictions.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Berlin included within this Western Germany contract tally?
- Berlin is omitted from this series and appears alongside the eastern federal states in a separate territorial breakdown.
- What determines whether a contract belongs in the western total?
- The operational site of the contracting training enterprise dictates assignment, regardless of the apprentice's domestic address.
- Why might early annual figures for Western Germany be adjusted?
- Retroactive reporting of training agreements finalized before the autumn deadline can trigger updates in subsequent statistical releases.