Federal Statistical Office: Immigrants make up more than a quarter of the workforce in Germany

The Federal Statistical Office announced at its headquarters in Wiesbaden today, Monday (September 28, 2026), based on mini-census data, that the percentage of workers with immigrant backgrounds will reach more than a quarter of the total number of workers in Germany (27%) in 2025.

People with immigrant backgrounds constitute a higher than average percentage in many professions in Germany. According to the office’s data, their percentage last year exceeded half of those working in the culinary profession, reaching 56%. They also constituted the majority of workers in the food industry at 55%, flooring installation at 54%, scaffolding construction at 51%, and meat processing at 51%.

The percentage of workers with immigrant backgrounds in a number of other professions that suffer from a shortage of specialized workers is significantly higher than their average percentage among workers in all economic sectors. This includes heavy vehicle drivers by 41%, hotel service workers by 40%, and workers in caring for patients and the elderly by 33%.

What is a mini census?

According to the statistics office's definition, a person is considered to have an immigrant background if he or she has immigrated himself or both of his parents have immigrated to Germany since 1950. The mini-population census is a sample survey, conducted annually, and includes about 1% of the German population.

The lowest percentage of workers with migrant backgrounds was recorded in rescue services that suffer from a labor shortage in Germany, where their percentage last year reached 7%, and the percentage was lower than the average in the agricultural sector, where it reached 15%.

Employment is declining and unemployment is falling slightly

The German labor market index issued by the Institute for Labor Market and Professions Research showed that the labor market in Germany is facing a new transformation, after the increase in employment for a long period supported its stability and partially limited the rise in unemployment.

"The prospects for employment are weaker than those for unemployment: the labor market is shrinking," said Enzo Weber, a researcher at the institute, attributing this primarily to demographic development, explaining that members of the baby boom generation are gradually retiring, while net immigration to Germany has declined.

Although the economic situation has stabilized, high uncertainty and structural problems, especially in the industrial sector, remain a burden. Many sectors are witnessing profound transformations, including the automobile industry, which is particularly important in Germany, which must move from combustion engines to electric mobility.