*** The results from 2021 onwards have not yet been extrapolated to the benchmarks according to the census 2022. The update is expected to take place at the beginning of the 3rd quarter of 2025. ***
What is the proportion of fixed-term employment contracts among employees?
When calculating the rate of fixed-term jobs, all persons in dependent employment from the age of 25 years are included.
Younger employees who are in transition from the educational to the employment system and often have fixed-term contracts are not included in the calculation. So the group of apprentices, where fixed-term employment is widespread, is largely excluded, too. The indicator thus does not cover the whole extent of fixed-term employment.
One in thirteen employment contracts has an expiry date
In 2023, 7.5% of the employees aged 25 years or over in Germany had a fixed-term employment contract. The differences in the rate of fixed-term jobs between women (7.4%) and men (7.6%) almost vanished in comparison to the past. Thirty years earlier, the difference had been somewhat larger. In 1993, 6.6% of the female and 5.2% of the male employees had a fixed-term job. In 2023 the majority (56.2%) of the employees with fixed-term jobs had a contract with a period of less than a year. For 20.9% of the respondents a duration between one and less than two years were recorded, further 13.2% had a contract duration between two and less than three years. 9.7% indicated having a contract ending after more than three years.
Increase in fixed-term contracts since 2020
Since 1991, the rate of fixed-term jobs has increased from 5.9% to 7.5%. It should be taken into account that the increase shown is somewhat larger than reality, which is due to methodological changes. The share generally grew more strongly in phases of weak economic activity, while it was slightly down in upturn phases. In 2009, in consequence of the financial crisis, the share of persons having a fixed-term employment decreased slightly before it increased again moderately in the two following years. Since 2012, the rate of fixed-term contracts decreased to 6.9% in 2020 and has been increasing again in the two following years. Due to the redesign of the labour force survey, which leads to limited comparability of results with previous years, the impact of the corona pandemic on the rate of fixed-term jobs cannot be determined in more detail. In 2023, the rate of fixed-term jobs fell again compared to the previous year.
Germany among middle-ranking EU countries
In a European comparison, Germany was below the EU average of just under 10.1% in 2023 regarding the rate of fixed-term jobs and hence was among the middle-ranking EU member states. Rates of fixed-term jobs were particularly high in the Netherlands with 18.7% as well as in Spain and Portugal with 14.6%. The seven countries with rates of fixed-term jobs of less than 5% included Hungary, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Latvia, Estonia, Romania and Lithuania which ranks last with a rate of fixed-term jobs of 1.6%. In an international comparison, however, a lower rate of fixed-term jobs does not always mean higher job security because the national legislations on protection against dismissal differ.
In most countries, the rates of fixed-term jobs were higher for women. In 2023 Germany was among the countries with the smallest differences between men and women.
Fixed-term employment rates for soldiers, members of academic professions and unskilled workers above average
At 37.1%, the fixed-term employment rate for soldiers was the highest in Germany. This was followed by employees in academic occupations (11.1%) and unskilled workers (10.8%). The proportion of employees on fixed-term contracts was also higher than average among employees in service occupations (8.5%).
Information on the Indicator
Description or definition
Percentage of persons in fixed-term employment (over 25 years) in all persons in dependent employment
Source
Labour Force Survey
Information for interpretation
The increase of persons in fixed-term employment in 2005 in comparison to 2004 is overestimated by the modified weighting and calibration methods.
The microcensus with the integrated European labour force survey has been redesigned in 2020. The list of questions and the concept of the sample survey were modified, and with the introduction of an online questionnaire, the form of data collection were also changed. The results from survey year 2020 onward are therefore comparable with those of previous years only to a limited extent.
Further methodological changes affecting the results were performed in 2005, 2011 and 2021. Consequently, the results for those years can be compared with the results for previous years to a limited extent only.
The extrapolation of microcensus data uses the population figures from the 2011 Census, which was conducted as at 9 May 2011. The results have been revised from 2010 onwards. With effect from the year 2016, the sample is based on the 2011 census data. This transition affects the comparability of the results with previous years.
For more information please refer to Methods: Quality Reports and Explanations (only in German).
Further information
Redesigned microcensus as of 2020