ifo Employment Barometer Falls (April 2024)

Companies in Germany are proving more cautious in their personnel planning. The ifo Employment Barometer slipped to 96.0 points in April, down from 96.3 points in March. “A lack of orders is causing some companies to put the brakes on hiring,” says Klaus Wohlrabe, Head of Surveys at ifo. “But service providers in some industries, such as data processing and tourism, are taking people on.”

Recruitment plans were scaled back in manufacturing, which also intends to reduce headcount. This is particularly true of energy-intensive industries. In trade, there is a similar tendency toward a reduced workforce. The barometer for service providers rose slightly. Data processing and tourism are the driving forces here. In construction, the indicator rose. But even so, the poor order situation, particularly in building construction, is forcing some companies to cut jobs.