The German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) has reported a significant increase in the number of public sector employees in the country. As of 2024, approximately 5.4 million people were employed in the public sector, a 1.8% rise from the previous year, with 95,900 new employees added to the workforce.
The education sector, in particular, has seen a notable surge in employment, with a 1.9% increase in the number of staff at general and vocational schools, reaching a total of 1,047,900 employees by mid-2024. The number of non-teaching staff rose by 0.9% to around 354,800, while the number of civil servants increased by 2.4% to approximately 693,200.
The trend of growth in the number of childcare staff at local kindergartens has continued, with a 4% increase in the past year, bringing the total number of employees to 289,900. Over the past 15 years, the number of childcare workers has more than doubled, with an average annual growth of 4.8%.
The higher education sector, including university hospitals, also saw a 2.3% increase in staff, reaching a total of 636,100 employees by the end of June 2024, a 41% rise from 15 years prior.