Over the past decade, the number of employees in Germany's paper products manufacturing sector has seen a consistent decline, starting from 146,000 in 2013 and dropping to 131,000 by 2023. From a relatively stable period between 2013 and 2019, the sector experienced sharper declines during 2020-2023. The largest drop was observed in 2020 with a year-on-year decrease of 4.83%. The average annual decline over the past five years (CAGR) stood at approximately -2.01%.
Looking forward, the trend of declining employment is expected to continue, albeit at a slightly slower pace. Forecasts indicate a reduction from 129,000 employees in 2024 to 125,000 by 2028, with an anticipated average annual decrease (CAGR) of -0.63% over these five years.
Future trends to watch for include:
• Adoption of automation and digitization potentially leading to further workforce reductions.
• Increasing emphasis on sustainability might alter production processes and labor needs.
• Potential impacts of global economic conditions and trade policies on the sector's growth and employment.
