At the end of March this year, 5.2 million people worked in local manufacturing units with 50 or more employees in Germany, up 0.8 percent compared to the end of March 2012 and stable compared to the end of February this year. As reported by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on the basis of provisional results, as of March 31 this year on year-on-year basis particularly strong employment figures were seen in the mechanical engineering sector with 2.1 percent growth, and in the manufacture of motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts with two percent growth.
As of March 31 of the current year, the number of employees in the production of motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts increased by 1,000 persons compared to the end of the previous month to 750,000 persons. However, 240,000 persons worked in metal production and processing in Germany at the end of March this year, unchanged month on month and down 0.7 percent compared to the end of March of the previous year. Employment in the manufacture of metal products in Germany rose 1.3 percent year on year to 500,000 persons by the end of March this year, while the figure was up 1,000 persons compared to the end of February this year.