A turning point in workforce numbers

In 2023, the German automotive industry has seen double progress with a first increase in the number of employees in five years and a sustained increase in sales.

On average last year, 779,700 people were employed in the factories of manufacturers of motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts. This corresponds to an increase of around 1% or 5,300 employees compared to the previous year. In 2023, employment in the automotive industry has fallen by almost 54,300 people since the employment record during the boom in 2018.

The growth in employment figures was particularly influenced by significant new company settlements. The largest manufacturer group in terms of employment, the manufacturers of motor vehicles and motor vehicle engines, recorded a slight increase in employment of +1%. On average, OEMs had 465,800 employees last year. Following significant growth in 2022, manufacturers of bodies, superstructures and trailers experienced a noticeable slowdown in employment growth in 2023. The number of employees rose by only 1% to 40,400 which represents a parallel trend to the other manufacturer groups in the industry, where only marginal increases were also recorded. After the sharp decline in employment among suppliers in the previous year of almost 6%, the proportinal share of employees remained unchanged at 273,500 despite a slight decline in 2023. Accordingly, the employment level remains at its lowest level since 1997 for the second year in a row - at that time the average was 255,600 employees.