German industrial sector lost 177,000 jobs in 2025

Germany's industrial sector shed 177,000 jobs in 2025, with automotive and metal industries among the hardest hit, according to Federal Employment Agency data.

• The Federal Employment Agency reported that industry employed 6.5 million people as of December 2025, about a fifth of the workforce.
• Total employment across all sectors fell by 108,000, as growth in other sectors did not offset industrial losses, the agency said.
• The automotive sector lost 52,000 jobs; the metal sector lost 24,000; and mechanical engineering lost 28,000.
• Andrea Nahles, the agency's director, said 15,000 jobs are being cut in industry each month.