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Germany

Labour input in industry - monthly data (sts_inlb_m)

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National Reference Metadata in Euro SDMX Metadata Structure (ESMS)

Compiling agency: [DE1] Federal Statistical Office (Statistisches Bundesamt)

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This indicator is part of the overall STS indicator system which supports business cycle observation. The results for persons employed show the evolution of employment in industrial activities, construction activities and the enterprises active in “other services“ (according to annex D of the EBS regulation).

Labour input data are compiled at the 4-digit level of NACE Rev. 2 and for the NACE Rev. 2 Sections.

For industry, labour input data are also calculated for MIGS (Main Industrial Groupings) as well as 2- and 3-digit levels.

For construction, employment data are broken down according to the manual/non-manual breakdown

Regional figures are published by the regional Statistical Offices (Statistical Offices of the German States (Länder)) at a more aggregated level.

16 March 2026

Employment data correspond to the total number of persons employed. They include owners working in the unit, persons on leave for illness, holiday or on strike, persons working part-time or short-time.They exclude family members working less than 1/3 of the average working time (in other words less than 55 hours a month), agency workers (for construction, agency workers are included), persons employed by other units to assemble or repair capital assets as well as persons on early retirement. In Section F, home workers are excluded. In addition to the total of persons employed, the questionnaire asks for the number of manual workers (inclusive of apprentices).

In Sections B and C local units with 50 or more persons employed are surveyed. In Sections D to E36 local units with less than 20 persons employed are only surveyed if they belong to an enterprise employing 20 persons or more.

In Section F the basic information collected are nominal figures. Active enterprises of all size classes are covered.

For retail trade and service, the number of persons employed is defined as the total number of persons who work in the observation unit (inclusive of working proprietors, partners working regularly in the unit and unpaid family workers), as well as persons who work outside the unit who belong to it and are paid by it (e.g. sales representatives, delivery personnel, repair and maintenance teams).

The survey on retail trade covers enterprises with an annual turnover in excess of EUR 450,000 and as such approximately 6% of turnover is not covered.

In the respective NACE codes for "other services" mix-models are applied, where different thresholds (depending on NACE code) define whether a unit is covered by primary survey or by administrative data. If the unit is covered by administrative data, the only information available is employees viable for social security (no self-employed, no minor employment). In accordance with the requirements for Business Demography self-employed persons are imputed to complement the administrative data. The thresholds below which administrative date is used are in NACE-division 45: 10 million Euro annual turnover or 100 employees; in NACE division 46: 20 million Euro annual turnover or 100 employees; in NACE section I: 150,000 Euro annual turnover; in all other NACE codes: 15 million Euro annual turnover or 250 employees.

NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to E36:

Reporting unit: Local unit.

Observation unit:  Local kind-of-activity-unit.

NACE Rev. 2 Section F: Local unit

NACE Rev. 2 Divisions G45, G46 and G47 Sections H, I, J, M_STS (M without 70.1, 72 and 75) and N_STS (N without 77, 81.1 and 81.3): Legal unit

All relevant statistical units in NACE Sections B to C according to the Business Register: ~24,000 legal units (2023).

All relevant statistical units in NACE Section F "construction" according to the Business Register: ~390,000 legal units (2023)

All relevant statistical units in NACE division 47 "Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles" according to the Business Register: ~364,000 units (2014)

All relevant statistical units in NACE Divisions G45 and G46 Sections H, I, J, L, M_STS (M without 70.1, 72 and 75) and N_STS according to the Business Register: ~1.8 million units (2014)

Country as a whole.

Labour input outside the geographical territory of Germany is not included in the data.

NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to E36, Divisions 45, 46 and 47, H, I, J, L, M_STS (M without 70.1, 72 and 75) and N_STS: Month.

NACE Rev. 2 Section F, remaining NACE codes of "other services": Calendar quarter

Sections B to E36, F: Deviations between the preliminary and the final results are marginal.

Divisions G45, G46 and G47, Sections H, I, J, L, M_STS (M without 70.1, 72 and 75) and N_STS

Main sources for errors/potential for bias: Survey data:

  • Unit- and item-non-response
  • Over- and under-coverage, incorrect classified units in the sample frame
  • Implausible data
  • Incorrect signing of the non-response-case
  • Inappropriate estimation of missing values

Administrative data:

  • Different observation units (e. g. local units)
  • Incorrect classification
  • Implausible data
  • Deviations in the definitions
  • Modifications of the legal basis of the administrative data or in the delivery-format
  • Lack of timeliness and completeness (dependence)
  • No unique identifier (statistical identity number differs from the identity number of the administrative data source)
  • Metadata not up-to-date for linking with the Business Register

 

Divisions 45/46: With the switch from a stratified random sample a mix-model (combination of survey and administrative data) in 2012 the burden, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises, was reduced completely.

Division 47: The sampling design is selected according to recognized scientific random sample theory methods so that the statistical results can be provided, given the sample size with the best possible precision. 45 days after the end of the month, the so-called measurement report number in the database Genesis-Online is available that still affect around 14% estimation accuracy Shares reducing. An improved estimation program is to increase the precision of the estimate. The monthly surveys commercially ready always to 24 months, that is, the companies have 24 months the opportunity to correct their information. Non-response can therefore affect the 25 months treatment. The reasons for revisions in the previous month results have been researched and documented. The sampling errors are relevant for the policy on aggregate level (WZ-2- and 3-digits) low.

Section I: The cut-off limit of 50,000 euros annual turnover was increased to 150,000 euros. About 2,700 companies were relieved from October 2011 of monthly reporting requirements.

Remaining NACE codes of "other services": With the switch from a stratified random sample to a mix-model (combination of survey and administrative data) in 2007 the burden, especially for small and medium-sized enterprises, was reduced completely. Since then, the number of the units in the survey decreased to one-tenth. The quality of the results did not suffer from that. Other positive effects are timelier responses and a better response rate.

NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to E36: Index based on the evolution of employment in industrial activities

NACE Rev. 2 Section F: Index based on the evolution of employment in construction activities

NACE Rev. 2 Divisions G45 and G46, G47, Sections H, I, J, L, M_STS (M without 70.1, 72 and 75) and N_STS: Index based on the evolution of employment in these sectors

Estimates for non-response are based on reported values of the preceding month.

Division 47: Non-response or missing values due to late response are estimated if reported data of the 3 previous months is available.

For Division 45 and 46 as well as Section I: Non-response or missing values due to late response are estimated as part of the monthly collection round. The values of enterprises that provide late declarations are estimated as part of the automatic plausibility checks using the relation between the declarations of the preceding three months and the same month one year earlier. These estimates are then replaced by the correct values when the late declaration is received.

For the remaining NACE codes of "other services": Indices are compiled by the change rate to the quarter before on the 4-digit-level of the NACE Rev. 2. The aggregation to higher levels takes place by using SBS-weights.

To calculate the change rate it is important to include only units with data in both quarters (the current and the previous quarter). Therefore, missing values are estimated. If a unit may respond later the estimated value is replaced by the real value within the regular revisions.

Sections B to E36: The persons employed in industrial activities are obtained for local-kind-of-activity units based on a primary survey of all local units in NACE Sections B to C with 50 or more persons employed and local units in Sections D to E36 of enterprises with 20 or more persons employed.

Section F: The persons employed in construction activities are obtained for local-kind-of-activity units based on a primary survey of all enterprises in NACE Section F with 20 or more persons employed, which is complemented by administrative data (business register) for small units.

Division 47: Statistical survey with 23 500 enterprises.

From 2010 on annual updating of a part of the sample (sample rotation).

Section I: sample survey.

Sections G, H, J, L, M and N:

The data set is based on a mix-model, that is a combination of a statistical survey and administrative data. Legal units with:

  • division 45: at least 100 persons employed and/or at least 10 million annual turnover (in the business register)
  • division 46:at least 100 persons employed and/or at least 20 million annual turnover (in the business register)
  • sections H, J, L, M and N: at least 250 persons employed and/or at least 15 million annual turnover (in the business register)

are surveyed primary. For all the other units administrative data are used. Therefore, it is a full coverage. The units that are primary surveyed are selected once a year.

The administrative data source for persons employed is the number of employees obliged to pay social insurance in the register of the Federal Employment Agency. There are some differences in the definition (e.g. working proprietors, unpaid family workers and civil servants are missing) and in the observation unit, because of the different purposes. The unit is not the enterprise/legal unit but the local unit. Therefore, the number of employees has to be aggregated to the relevant statistical units.

NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to E36, Divisions 45, 46 and 47, H, I, J, L, M_STS (M without 70.1, 72 and 75) and N_STS: Monthly.

NACE Rev. 2 Section F: Quarterly.

NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to E36: The first preliminary results for hours worked are published approximately 45 days after the end of the reference month. Data are to be delivered by the reporting units up to the 12th day after the end of the reference month.

NACE Rev. 2 Section F: The first preliminary results for hours worked are published approximately 60 days after the end of the reference period. Data are to be delivered by the reporting units up to the 10th day after the end of the reference period.

NACE Rev. 2 Divisions G45 and G46: Results are transmitted to Eurostat 60 days after the end of the reference-quarter.

The monthly publication for Section I is available 45 days after the end of the reference period. The national publication for Section H, J, L, M and N is approximately 14 days after transmission to Eurostat.

NACE Rev. 2 Division 47: First results are released 30 days after the end of the reference month; Additional economic breakdowns are published around 45 days after the end of the reference month.

Results for federated states (Bundesländer = NUTS 1) are directly comparable to each other.

NACE Rev. 2 Sections B to E36, F: Consistent time series are available since 2005.

Since 1994 for Divisions 45 and 46 as well as Section I; Since 2009 for the remaining NACE codes of "other services"

NACE Rev. 2 Division 47: Since 2003.