German industry loses over 341,000 jobs in 7 years: report

The international audit and consulting firm EY published its "Q1 2026 Industry Barometer" report, analyzing the performance of industrial companies in the first quarter of 2026, as reported by Anadolu Agency (AA). The number of employees in German industrial companies decreased by 2.3% (127,300 people) in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same period last year. Industrial employment losses in Turkey’s European trade partner reached 341,500 since 2019, the pre-COVID-19 pandemic year. This decline of over 6% showed that one out of every 17 industrial jobs in the country disappeared.

The automotive sector felt the employment losses most severely. Employment in the automotive sector decreased by 32,000 people in the last year, while losses since 2019 reached approximately 125,800. This situation showed that one out of every seven jobs in the automotive industry disappeared since 2019. The textile sector experienced the largest proportional loss with 22%. Employment in the metal industry also fell 15% during the same period.

Only two sectors stood out by countering the general negative trend and increasing employment. Employment increased by 3% in the chemical and pharmaceutical sector and 2% in the electrical sector since 2019. According to the report by EY, these sectors managed to buck the overall downward trend in German industrial employment.