At the end of January this year, 5.2 million people worked in local manufacturing units with 50 or more employees in Germany, up 1.2 percent compared to the end of January 2012 and stable compared to the end of December last year. As reported by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on the basis of provisional results, as of January 31 this year on year-on-year basis particularly strong employment figures was seen in the machinery sector with 2.3 percent growth, and in the manufacture of motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts with 2.1 percent growth.
As of January 31 of the current year, the number of employees in the production of motor vehicles and motor vehicle parts increased by 2,000 persons compared to the end of the previous month to 747,000 persons. However, 241,000 persons worked in metal production and processing in Germany at the end of January 2013, falling 1,000 persons month on month and down 0.2 percent compared to the end of January of the previous year. Employment in the manufacture of metal products in Germany rose 1.6 percent year on year to 496,000 persons by the end of January this year, while the figure was stable compared to the end of December last year.