Germany hemorrhaging industrial jobs – study

德国工业岗位流失严重——研究报告

The sector has reportedly shed over 100,000 jobs over the past year and is expected to lose 70,000 more by the end of 2025

据报道，该行业过去一年已削减超 10 万个工作岗位，预计到 2025 年底还将减少 7 万个

Germany’s industrial sector has lost more than 100,000 jobs over the past year as the country’s economic downturn drags on, according to analysis shared by the German Press Agency (dpa).

德国新闻社（dpa）分享的分析报告显示，随着德国经济持续低迷，该国工业部门过去一年已流失超 10 万个就业岗位。

The report published last week, based on analysis by consultancy EY, shows the German auto sector accounted for around 45,400 net job losses, making it the hardest-hit segment of the economy.

这份基于安永咨询公司分析的报告显示，德国汽车行业净裁员约 4.54 万人，成为经济中受冲击最严重的领域。

At the end of the first quarter, German industry employed 5.46 million people, down 1.8% or 101,000 jobs from a year earlier, according to the study based on data from the Federal Statistical Office.

根据德国联邦统计局数据的研究显示，一季度末德国工业就业人数为 546 万，同比下降 1.8%，减少 10.1 万个工作岗位。

Since the pre-pandemic year 2019, the number of industrial employees has slumped by 217,000, a 3.8% decline. The sector had reached a record high of around 5.7 million jobs in 2018. According to Jan Brorhilker, managing partner at EY, industrial companies are under enormous pressure.

与疫情前的 2019 年相比，工业从业人数锐减 21.7 万，降幅达 3.8%。该行业在 2018 年曾达到约 570 万就业岗位的历史峰值。安永管理合伙人扬·布罗希尔克表示，工业企业正承受巨大压力。

“Aggressive competitors, such as those from China, are pushing down prices, key sales markets are weakening, demand in Europe is stagnating at a low level, and the entire US market is a major question mark,” he said. “At the same time, companies are struggling with high costs – for example, for energy and personnel.”

来自中国等地的激进竞争者正在压低价格，主要销售市场持续疲软，欧洲需求停滞在低位，而整个美国市场更是个巨大问号。"他分析道，"与此同时，企业还面临着能源和人力等成本高企的困境。

Brorhilker warned that at least 70,000 additional jobs could be lost by the end of the year. Companies, particularly in machinery and automotive manufacturing, have launched cost-cutting programs to cope with the challenging market conditions.

布罗希尔克警告称，到今年年底可能还会损失至少 7 万个工作岗位。为应对严峻市场形势，机械和汽车制造等企业已启动成本削减计划。

In the automotive sector, which is grappling with declining sales, growing competition from China, and the shift to e-mobility, nearly 6% of jobs were cut over the past year, the report said. By the end of March, employment in the industry had dropped to around 734,000. Significant job losses were also recorded in metal production and the textile industry, with employment in both sectors falling by more than 4%.

报告指出，在面临销量下滑、中国竞争加剧及电动化转型的汽车行业，过去一年有近 6%的岗位被裁撤。截至 3 月底，该行业就业人数已降至约 73.4 万。金属生产和纺织行业也出现显著岗位流失，两大领域就业率均下降超 4%。

The crisis in Germany’s industrial sector has reignited debate over the country’s attractiveness as a manufacturing base, with observers warning of creeping deindustrialization.

德国工业领域的危机再度引发关于该国作为制造业基地吸引力的讨论，观察人士警告正出现渐进式去工业化趋势。

According to experts, the decline reflects the economic fallout from severing ties with Russian energy. After the 2022 sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines and sanctions, European gas prices quadrupled year-on-year, placing severe strain on both industry and households.

专家认为，这种衰退反映出与俄罗斯能源脱钩带来的经济冲击。2022 年北溪管道遭破坏及制裁实施后，欧洲天然气价格同比暴涨四倍，给工业与家庭均造成沉重压力。

However, Chancellor Friedrich Merz has adopted a firm stance against Russia, vowing to “increase pressure” on Moscow and weaken its “war machine” through further sanctions. His government recently pledged an additional €5 billion ($5.6 billion) in military aid to Ukraine.

然而，总理弗里德里希·默茨对俄罗斯采取了强硬立场，誓言要通过进一步制裁"加大对莫斯科施压"并削弱其"战争机器"。其政府近期承诺向乌克兰追加 50 亿欧元（约合 56 亿美元）军事援助。