2024-09-04 14:22:26
In the second quarter, people in Germany worked more than ever before. But there are signs of a negative development.
Despite the economic downturn, more work was done in Germany in the second quarter of 2024 than ever before. The volume of work rose to 14.7 billion hours, which is above the level before the Corona crisis for the first time, according to the Institute for Employment Research (IAB) in Nuremberg. “Never before has so much work been done in Germany – in the middle of the economic downturn,” said IAB labor market researcher Enzo Weber.
In the second quarter of 2019, 14.6 billion working hours were recorded. “But a further increase is not a given,” emphasized Weber. “Employment growth is leveling off significantly, the part-time rate is climbing to almost 40 percent, and fewer overtime hours are being worked than ever before.”
The number of employed people rose by 0.4 percent to 46.1 million people in the second quarter of 2024 compared to the same quarter last year. Working hours per person rose by 0.4 percent compared to the same quarter last year and averaged 318.2 hours. The part-time rate rose by 0.5 points to 39.8 percent compared to the previous year.
The number of part-time employees increased by 1.6 percent, while the number of full-time employees fell by 0.3 percent. Weber cited an increase in employment in sectors with a high proportion of part-time workers, such as health and social services, and education and teaching, as the reason for this.
At the same time, the number of overtime hours also fell by 0.3 hours. On average, employees worked 2.9 paid and 4.1 unpaid overtime hours in the second quarter of 2024.