Data released this week by the Federal Statistical Office of Germany (Destatis) reveals a new high in the proportion of part-time teachers in general schools during the 2023/2024 school year. Approximately 739,500 teachers were employed in these schools, with 43.1 percent working part-time – a slight increase from the 42.3 percent recorded in the previous school year.
The trend towards part-time work is particularly pronounced amongst female educators. In the 2023/2024 school year, 50.7 percent of female teachers worked part-time, more than double the rate for male teachers at 22.6 percent.
Compared to the broader employment landscape, teachers exhibit a significantly higher proportion of part-time workers. In 2023, 30.9 percent of all employed individuals across all economic sectors worked part-time. The higher rate among teachers is linked to the substantial representation of women in the profession; women comprised 73.1 percent of teachers in general schools during the 2023/2024 school year, compared to 48.1 percent of all employed individuals across all sectors in 2023.
Significant regional variations exist concerning the prevalence of part-time teachers. In Hamburg (55.0 percent), Bremen (52.2 percent) and Baden-Württemberg (50.1 percent), more than half of all teachers in general schools were employed on a part-time basis during the 2023/2024 school year. However, in Thuringia (23.0 percent) and Saxony-Anhalt (23.1 percent), part-time employment accounted for roughly one in four teachers.
Looking ahead, the age structure of the teaching workforce is a key consideration for future staffing needs. During the 2023/2024 school year, approximately 25.4 percent of teachers were between the ages of 50 and 59, while a further 10.3 percent were 60 or older. This means that more than one-third (35.7 percent) of teachers were aged 50 or above. The proportion of younger teachers-those under 35-was considerably smaller, making up just 20.8 percent of the total teaching staff.
Variations in age demographics are also present between states. Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia both recorded more than half (54.0 percent and 50.0 percent, respectively) of their teaching workforce aged 50 or over, while Saarland (28.4 percent) and Bremen (30.1 percent) had the lowest proportions in this age group.
The data analyzed includes only full-time and part-time employed teachers, excluding those employed on an hourly basis. The figures on part-time employment and female representation across all economic sectors are based on the results of the 2023 Microcensus.