Around 46.1 million people were employed in Germany in the fourth quarter of 2025. According to provisional data from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), the seasonally adjusted employment figures fell by 25 000 (0.1 %) compared with the previous quarter. In the second and third quarters of 2025, the seasonally adjusted employment decline was 9 000 and 40 000, respectively.
Without removing seasonal effects, the number of employees in Q4 2025 actually rose by 132 000 (0.3 %) compared with the previous quarter-a normal trend for year‑on‑year data that, however, was well below the 2022‑24 average increase of 200 000. When compared with Q4 2024, employment in Q4 2025 dropped by 58 000 (0.1 %). In Q3 2025 the employment level fell for the first time since Q1 2021, falling 16 000 (0.0 %) from the same quarter a year earlier. After a peak increase of 679 000 (1.5 %) in Q2 2022, the post‑pandemic recovery slowed: by Q1 2025 the year‑on‑year gap was only 40 000 (0.1 %) and by Q2 2025 only 15 000 (0.0 %).
In the service sector, employment grew by 122 000 (0.3 %) in Q4 2025, whereas employment outside services fell more sharply, down 180 000 (‑1.6 %). Within services, public service, education and health continued a long‑term upswing, adding 212 000 (1.7 %). Other services-including associations and interest groups-added 17 000 (0.5 %), and finance and insurance added 14 000 (1.3 %). By contrast, information and communication employment fell 15 000 (‑1.0 %), trade, transport and hospitality fell 35 000 (‑0.3 %), and business services-including workforce placement-fell 74 000 (‑1.2 %).
Manufacturing excluding construction experienced a sharp decline of 160 000 (‑2.0 %) in Q4 2025. Construction employment also fell, 20 000 (‑0.8 %). Agriculture, forestry and fisheries remained unchanged.
The German Federal Employment Agency reported the end of the positive trend in social‑security‑liable employment for Q4 2025. The number of employees covered by mandatory social insurance slipped slightly compared with the previous year, with a continuing loss in marginal employment (part‑time, seasonal and temporary workers). Overall, the labour force decreased by 31 000 (‑0.1 %) to 42.5 million in Q4 2025 versus Q4 2024. Self‑employed workers, including family helpers, also fell, dropping 27 000 (‑0.7 %) to 3.7 million.
Preliminary figures from the Institute for Employment Research (IAB) of the Federal Employment Agency show that average working hours per employed person rose 0.7 % to 336.4 hours in Q4 2025 compared with the same quarter a year earlier. The resulting total economic work volume-employment multiplied by hours-grew 0.5 % to 15.5 billion hours.