A new federal apprenticeship report indicates that the number of contracts for apprenticeships continues to decline. According to the report, Germany saw 476,000 contracts concluded nationwide in 2025, a drop from 486,300 in the previous year and significantly lower than the nearly 490,000 recorded the year before.
The supply of training positions from companies has also shrunk, according to the data. Last year, companies registered 530,335 available spots, which is 25,331 fewer than the prior year-a reduction of 4.6 percent. This decline is noted as being more severe compared to the period leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In contrast, the demand from young people for apprenticeships saw a slight increase last year, rising to 560,308, or 3,662 more than the previous year. This marks the third consecutive year of growing interest. Consequently, the youth demand substantially outpaces the available supply. Nearly 40,000 young people remain completely unsponsored, meaning they could neither find an apprenticeship placement nor secure an alternative entry solution, such as an internship or vocational preparatory program. This gap is equal to the numbers recorded back in 2009.
Amid what labor leaders are calling an “apprenticeship crisis” Elke Hannack, vice chairwoman of the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB), demanded decisive government countermeasures. “Despite all the complaints about a supposed skilled labor shortage, fewer and fewer employers are training apprentices” she told the press. The DGB urgently advocates for expanding the existing apprenticeship guarantee.