German Industry Losing 15,000 Jobs Each Month as Crisis Deepens

Germany’s industrial sector is shedding roughly 15,000 jobs per month, adding up to 177,000 positions lost in 2025. The decline is most severe in automotive, which has shed about 52,000 workers, followed by machinery (28,000) and metal production (24,000). Since 2019, more than 340,000 jobs – about six percent of the total workforce – have disappeared, with the auto industry alone losing around 126,000 jobs over the past seven years.

Major manufacturers such as Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes‑Benz, Bosch and ZF have announced further staff cuts, savings programmes and the possible relocation of operations to lower‑cost markets. Industry leaders cite high energy prices, heavy tax burdens, complex administration, fierce competition from China, weak domestic demand and export pressures from trade disputes and U.S. tariffs as key drivers. Federation of German Industries (BDI) chief Tanja Gern warned that the situation is “critical” and warned of a gradual de‑industrialisation.

Statistical data show a modest 0.9 % rise in industrial production in May, driven mainly by the auto sector, but overall output fell 1.1 % in 2025, with energy‑intensive branches still about 18 % below 2021 levels.