At the end of February this year, 5.2 million people worked in local manufacturing units with 50 or more employees in Germany, up one percent compared to the end of February 2012 and stable compared to the end of January this year. As reported by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on the basis of provisional results, as of the end of February this year on year-on-year basis particularly strong employment figures were seen in the machinery sector with 2.2 percent growth, and in the manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers with 1.9 percent growth.
As of February of the current year, the number of employees in the production of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers increased by 2,000 persons compared to the end of the previous month to 749,000 persons. However, 240,000 persons worked in metal production and processing in Germany at the end of February this year, falling by 1,000 persons month on month and down 0.8 percent compared to the end of February of the previous year. Employment in the manufacture of metal products in Germany rose 1.4 percent year on year to 499,000 by the end of February this year, while the jobs figure was up 3,000 compared to the end of January this year.