ifo Institute: Baden-Württemberg Has Largest Share of Short-Time Work in Germany
Baden-Württemberg has overtaken Bavaria to be the German federal state with the largest share of short-time workers, according to exclusive estimates from the ifo Institute. The estimates indicate that in October, approximately 13 percent of employees subject to social insurance contributions there were on short-time work; the figure in Bavaria was 12 percent. “Short-time work continues to be much more prevalent in southern Länder with a lot of metal processing, mechanical engineering, and car manufacturers and suppliers,” says ifo labor market expert Sebastian Link.
In October, Baden-Württemberg had an estimated 620,000 people on short-time work; Bavaria’s total was higher at 705,000. North Rhine-Westphalia had the next highest share with 10 percent (680,000 people), followed by Rhineland Palatinate and Saarland with a combined 10 percent of employees (186,000), meaning each is in line with Germany’s national average.
Below-average figures for short-time work were recorded at companies in Hesse, with 9 percent of employees (224,000), and in Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg, also with 9 percent (174,000). They were followed by Lower Saxony and Bremen with 8 percent (263,000), Saxony with 8 percent (124,000), Berlin, Brandenburg, and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania with 7 percent (214,000), and Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia with 6 percent (92,000).
Looking at Germany as a whole, ifo estimates the share of short-time workers to be 10 percent of employees subject to social insurance contributions, or 3.3 million people.
