Press release No. 208 of 18 May 2022
Persons in employment with place of employment in Germany, 1st quarter of 2022
+0.5% on the previous quarter (seasonally adjusted)
-0.6% on the previous quarter (not seasonally adjusted)
+1.5% on the same quarter of the previous year
WIESBADEN – Roughly 45.1 million people were in employment in the first quarter of 2022 whose place of employment was in Germany.The seasonally adjusted number of persons in employment rose notably by 217,000 (+0.5%) on the fourth quarter of 2021 and exceeded the pre-crisis level for the first time, according to provisional calculations of the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). Compared with the fourth quarter of 2019, the last quarter before restrictions were imposed due to the Covid-19 pandemic in Germany, the number of persons in employment rose by a seasonally adjusted 0.1%, or 43,000, in the first quarter of 2022.
Without seasonal adjustment, the number of persons in employment decreased by 253,000, or 0.6%, on the fourth quarter of 2021. This decrease, which is typical for this time of the year, was however markedly smaller in the first quarter of 2022 than the relevant average of the three pre-crisis years 2017 to 2019 (-338,000 people; -0.8%).
Largest year-on-year increase in employment since the second quarter of 2007
Compared with the first quarter of 2021, the number of persons in employment was up by 687,000 (+1.5%) in the first quarter of 2022. Thus the year-on-year employment growth increased further. In the first quarter of 2021, employment had been down 1.5% on a year earlier. The positive year-on-year development observed since the second quarter of 2021 can still be attributed partly to the sharp decline in the number of persons in employment in 2020, when the measures taken against the Covid-19 pandemic had a negative impact on the labour market. Nevertheless, a marked upward trend has become evident since the summer of 2021 which goes beyond this base effect. A larger year-on-year employment increase than in the first quarter of 2022 was last observed in the second quarter of 2007 (+1.8%, or 700,000 people). At the time, the increase was attributed to the so-called Hartz reforms.
It should be noted that both the measures taken to contain the Covid-19 pandemic and the inflow of refugees from Ukraine since March have led to an increased uncertainty of the employment estimates. The significant increase and subsequent decline in short-time work, however, does not affect the number of persons in employment because, according to the employment accounts, short-time workers are still counted as persons in employment.
Largest employment increase observed in the service sector
The service sector was the main contributor to the increase in the total number of persons in employment in the first quarter of 2022 on the same quarter a year earlier (+650,000; +2.0%). The largest absolute employment gains were recorded for public services, education, health (+242,000 people or +2.1%), followed by trade, transport, accommodation and food services (+190,000 or +2.0%) and business services (+112.000 or +1.9%), which also include employment activities. Employment growth was even more dynamic in information and communication (+66,000 people or +4.7%). Considerable employment gains were also observed for other service activities (incl. associations and other membership organisations): +38,000 people or +1.3%. The downward trend in financial and insurance activities, which had been observed for years, continued (-5,000 or -0.5%).
In industry (excluding construction), the number of persons in employment in the first quarter of 2022 rose slightly year on year for the first time since the third quarter of 2019 (+14,000 people or +0.2%). In construction, too, employment gains were recorded again (+30,000; +1.2%). Employment was down in agriculture, forestry and fishing by 7,000 people (-1.3%); this decrease confirmed the long-term trend in that sector.
More employees, fewer self-employed
The year-on-year increase in employment of 1.5% was mainly due to the positive development of the number of employees subject to social insurance contributions in the first quarter of 2022. Slight employment gains were also recorded in the number of persons only employed in marginal jobs (on a low-pay or short-term basis, in job opportunities), whereas the number of self-employed decreased again. The total number of employees was up by 719,000 (+1.8%) in the first quarter of 2022 from the first quarter of 2021, reaching 41.2 million. The number of self-employed including family workers was down by 32,000 (-0.8%) to 3.9 million.
Total hours worked increased 3.3%
The average number of hours worked per person in employment rose by 1.7% to 341.3 hours in the first quarter of 2022 compared with the same quarter a year earlier according to first provisional results of the Institute for Employment Research of the Federal Employment Agency. The total number of hours worked, that is, the number of persons in employment multiplied by the hours worked per person in employment, was up by 3.3% to 15.4 billion hours in the same period.
Persons in employment in the EU
According to information released by Eurostat, the Statistical Office of the European Union, on 17 May 2022, employment (calculated by means of methods harmonised across Europe) increased on average more in the 27 Member States of the European Union (EU) and the euro area than in Germany (1.5%) in the first quarter of 2022 on a year earlier. The increase amounted to 2.5% in the EU and 2.6% in the euro area.
Note on the results published earlier
In addition to the first calculation of the number of persons in employment and the number of hours worked for the first quarter of 2022, the results published so far from the first quarter of 2021 were revised as part of the regular revision of national accounts. Regarding the quarterly employment figures, the recalculation however resulted in largely identical year-on-year change rates that are by 0.1 percentage points lower only in the fourth quarter of 2021 compared with the results published earlier. The annual result of 44.9 million persons in employment and the year-on-year change rate of 0.0%, which were communicated in press release no. 01/22 of 3 January 2022, have remained unchanged in the recalculation because the minor revision of the quarterly results did not impact the rounded annual result.
Detailed data and long time series on persons in employment for Germany are available in the GENESIS-Online database in the tables on national accounts of the Federation (81000-0012 and 81000-0016) and on the labour market (13321).
Methodological notes
The differing comparative periods must be taken into account in all press releases on short-term indicators. Short-term economic monitoring focuses on comparisons with the previous month or previous quarter. These reflect short-term economic trends. A comparison with the previous year is intended to offer a long-term comparison of levels and is hardly subject to seasonal fluctuations. The results of month-on-month, quarter-on-quarter and year-on-year comparisons may differ considerably at present because of the Covid-19 crisis and the war in Ukraine.
Crisis Monitor enables comparison between Covid-19 crisis and financial and economic crisis
The employment figures also form part of the Crises Monitor (www.destatis.de/krisenmonitor), by means of which the Federal Statistical Office compares the development of major short-term indicators in the corona crisis and the financial and economic crisis of 2008/2009. The Crisis Monitor complements the Corona Statistics webpage, which has provided statistical information on the economic and social consequences of the coronavirus pandemic since the beginning of April 2020.
| Year, quarter 1 | Persons in employment 2 | Hours worked 3 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | employees | self- employed 5 | total | per person in employment | |||
| seasonally adjusted value 4 | original value | mn hours | hours | ||||
| persons in 1,000 | |||||||
| 1: For persons in employment: annual and/or quarterly averages 2: Results of employment accounts as part of national accounts; persons in employment whose place of employment is in Germany (domestic concept). 3: Source: Institute for Employment Research of the Federal Employment Agency, Nuremberg. 4: Seasonal adjustment using X13-ARIMA in JDemetra+. 5: Including family workers. qtr = quarter | |||||||
| 2018 | - | 44,858 | 40,635 | 4,223 | 62,113 | 1,384.7 | |
| 2019 | - | 45,268 | 41,117 | 4,151 | 62,539 | 1,381.5 | |
| 2020 | - | 44,898 | 40,860 | 4,038 | 59,454 | 1,324.2 | |
| 2021 | - | 44,918 | 40,989 | 3,929 | 60,490 | 1,346.7 | |
| 2019 | 1st qtr | 45,172 | 44,906 | 40,720 | 4,186 | 15,952 | 355.2 |
| 2nd qtr | 45,273 | 45,230 | 41,069 | 4,161 | 14,727 | 325.6 | |
| 3rd qtr | 45,288 | 45,378 | 41,231 | 4,147 | 16,060 | 353.9 | |
| 4th qtr | 45,342 | 45,559 | 41,448 | 4,111 | 15,800 | 346.8 | |
| 2020 | 1st qtr | 45,378 | 45,122 | 41,036 | 4,086 | 15,604 | 345.8 |
| 2nd qtr | 44,764 | 44,712 | 40,662 | 4,050 | 13,235 | 296.0 | |
| 3rd qtr | 44,707 | 44,794 | 40,760 | 4,034 | 15,446 | 344.8 | |
| 4th qtr | 44,748 | 44,965 | 40,983 | 3,982 | 15,169 | 337.4 | |
| 2021 | 1st qtr | 44,697 | 44,451 | 40,504 | 3,947 | 14,918 | 335.6 |
| 2nd qtr | 44,801 | 44,742 | 40,817 | 3,925 | 14,120 | 315.6 | |
| 3rd qtr | 45,003 | 45,088 | 41,157 | 3,931 | 15,774 | 349.8 | |
| 4th qtr | 45,168 | 45,391 | 41,479 | 3,912 | 15,679 | 345.4 | |
| 2022 | 1st qtr | 45,385 | 45,138 | 41,223 | 3,915 | 15,407 | 341.3 |
| Percentage change on the previous quarter | Percentage change on the same period of the previous year | ||||||
| 2018 | - | 1.4 | 1.6 | -1.2 | 1.0 | -0.3 | |
| 2019 | - | 0.9 | 1.2 | -1.7 | 0.7 | -0.2 | |
| 2020 | - | -0.8 | -0.6 | -2.7 | -4.9 | -4.1 | |
| 2021 | - | 0.0 | 0.3 | -2.7 | 1.7 | 1.7 | |
| 2019 | 1st qtr | 0.3 | 1.2 | 1.4 | -1.3 | 1.9 | 0.7 |
| 2nd qtr | 0.2 | 1.0 | 1.3 | -1.6 | -0.4 | -1.4 | |
| 3rd qtr | 0.0 | 0.8 | 1.1 | -1.8 | 1.3 | 0.5 | |
| 4th qtr | 0.1 | 0.7 | 1.0 | -2.1 | -0.1 | -0.8 | |
| 2020 | 1st qtr | 0.1 | 0.5 | 0.8 | -2.4 | -2.2 | -2.6 |
| 2nd qtr | -1.4 | -1.1 | -1.0 | -2.7 | -10.1 | -9.1 | |
| 3rd qtr | -0.1 | -1.3 | -1.1 | -2.7 | -3.8 | -2.6 | |
| 4th qtr | 0.1 | -1.3 | -1.1 | -3.1 | -4.0 | -2.7 | |
| 2021 | 1st qtr | -0.1 | -1.5 | -1.3 | -3.4 | -4.4 | -2.9 |
| 2nd qtr | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.4 | -3.1 | 6.7 | 6.6 | |
| 3rd qtr | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.0 | -2.6 | 2.1 | 1.5 | |
| 4th qtr | 0.4 | 0.9 | 1.2 | -1.8 | 3.4 | 2.4 | |
| 2022 | 1st qtr | 0.5 | 1.5 | 1.8 | -0.8 | 3.3 | 1.7 |
| Sector of economic activity 2 | 2020 | 2021 | 2021 | 2022 | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st qtr | 2nd qtr | 3rd qtr | 4th qtr | 1st qtr | |||
| 1: Results of employment accounts as part of national accounts (domestic concept); annual and quarterly averages. 2: Classification of Economic Activities, 2008 edition (WZ 2008). qtr = quarter | |||||||
| Persons in 1,000 | |||||||
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | 580 | 563 | 531 | 593 | 585 | 539 | 524 |
| Industry, excluding construction | 8,180 | 8,088 | 8,064 | 8,064 | 8,094 | 8,124 | 8,078 |
| including: | |||||||
| Manufacturing | 7,576 | 7,479 | 7,459 | 7,459 | 7,482 | 7,509 | 7,472 |
| Construction | 2,579 | 2,606 | 2,569 | 2,602 | 2,618 | 2,636 | 2,599 |
| Trade, transport, accommodation and food services | 10,012 | 9,869 | 9,722 | 9,772 | 9,958 | 10,027 | 9,912 |
| Information and communication | 1,398 | 1,431 | 1,405 | 1,423 | 1,437 | 1,461 | 1,471 |
| Financial and insurance activities | 1,086 | 1,081 | 1,081 | 1,078 | 1,079 | 1,085 | 1,076 |
| Real estate activities | 477 | 479 | 474 | 477 | 481 | 484 | 481 |
| Business services | 6,106 | 6,125 | 6,044 | 6,106 | 6,162 | 6,189 | 6,156 |
| Public services, education, health | 11,480 | 11,711 | 11,625 | 11,675 | 11,689 | 11,854 | 11,867 |
| Other services | 3,000 | 2,965 | 2,936 | 2,952 | 2,985 | 2,992 | 2,974 |
| Change in % on the corresponding period of the previous year | |||||||
| Agriculture, forestry and fishing | -3.2 | -2.9 | -4.3 | -3.7 | -2.7 | -1.8 | -1.3 |
| Industry, excluding construction | -2.2 | -1.1 | -2.4 | -1.5 | -0.6 | -0.1 | 0.2 |
| including: | |||||||
| Manufacturing | -2.4 | -1.3 | -2.6 | -1.6 | -0.7 | -0.2 | 0.2 |
| Construction | 1.3 | 1.0 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 0.8 | 1.2 |
| Trade, transport, accommodation and food services | -2.1 | -1.4 | -4.2 | -1.7 | -0.5 | 0.6 | 2.0 |
| Information and communication | 1.5 | 2.4 | 0.3 | 2.2 | 3.0 | 3.9 | 4.7 |
| Financial and insurance activities | -0.9 | -0.5 | -0.6 | -0.3 | -0.4 | -0.5 | -0.5 |
| Real estate activities | -0.6 | 0.4 | -0.4 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 1.0 | 1.5 |
| Business services | -1.9 | 0.3 | -2.2 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 1.9 |
| Public services, education, health | 1.5 | 2.0 | 1.6 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 1.9 | 2.1 |
| Other services | -1.3 | -1.2 | -3.1 | -1.1 | -0.3 | 0.2 | 1.3 |
