The share of fixed-term employment in the German labor market is declining, falling to 6 percent from 7 percent in 2015, according to the German Federal Statistical Office (Statistisches Bundesamt).
Despite this downward trend, approximately 2.2 million employees in Germany are currently in fixed-term employment. Among those aged 15 to 25, the rate of fixed-term employment was 18.3 percent last year, a figure that does not include fixed-term apprenticeship positions.
Fixed-term employment rate for those aged 15 to 25 in Germany.
Atypical forms of employment—including fixed-term contracts, mini-jobs, short-term part-time work, or temporary work—accounted for 17.2 percent of core employed persons in 2025. This is a long-term decline from 20.8 percent in 2015. In total, around 6.4 million people in Germany worked in these atypical forms of employment in 2025.
Qualifications and sectors
According to the 2025 Microcensus, Employment types vary by qualification level. In 2025, 11.6 percent of core employed persons without professional qualifications were in fixed-term employment, compared to 6.4 percent for those with highly qualified educational backgrounds, such as a university degree or master craftsman title. For employees with medium professional qualifications, the share was 4 percent.
Sector-specific data shows that fixed-term employment stands at 11.2 percent in the education sector and 8.8 percent in the hospitality industry, the latter being higher than the overall economy.
Only 2.7 percent of fixed-term employees stated they had consciously chosen that type of contract, and more than half of these contracts had a duration of less than one year.
Government reform and debate
The German government plans to change regulations regarding fixed-term employment as part of social state reforms. According to results from the coalition committee, the government coalition plans to allow fixed-term contracts without specific reasons for up to 48 months for employees hired until the end of 2030, with the possibility of six extensions.
An expert stated that the plan to extend fixed-term contracts from two to four years for new hires would provide employers with necessary flexibility.
Fixed-term workers face great uncertainty and difficulty planning their lives.
