BERLIN, July 15 (Xinhua) -- Germany's manufacturing sector shed 177,000 jobs in 2025, with the automotive industry accounting for the largest share of the losses, according to official data released on Wednesday, highlighting the mounting pressure on Europe's largest economy amid a prolonged industrial downturn.
A total of 6.5 million people were employed in Germany's manufacturing sector under the social security system as of December 2025, accounting for nearly one-fifth of all such employment nationwide, the Federal Employment Agency (BA) said.
Job gains in other sectors were insufficient to offset manufacturing losses, leaving Germany's overall employment down by 108,000 last year, the agency said.
The automotive industry, including suppliers, lost 52,000 jobs during the year, while machinery manufacturing and metal production shed 28,000 and 24,000 jobs, respectively, it added.
Germany's labor market has remained under pressure as the economy has recorded little or no growth over the past three years. According to the latest BA figures, the unemployment rate stood at 6.2 percent in June, with the number of unemployed reaching nearly 3 million.
