Germany’s once unshakable automotive industry is starting to show visible cracks, with new figures highlighting just how much pressure the sector is under. In the past year alone, the workforce has shrunk by 7 percent, while profits slide and overcapacity weighs heavily on manufacturers. The competition isn’t letting up either, with international rivals, particularly in the electric market, moving faster and leaner.
According to Germany’s federal statistics office Destatis, roughly 51,500 jobs disappeared from the car industry between June 2024 and June 2025. And the ripple effect extends well beyond cars. Across the country’s industrial base, 114,000 positions have been cut in the same period.
Compared with pre-pandemic levels in 2019, the automotive workforce is down by 112,000 people, underscoring how steep the sector’s decline has become.
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