The number of people employed in German industry in 2025 fell to a 10-year low of just 6.6 million workers, a study by the German Economic Institute (IW) showed on Thursday. • The decline was not driven by rising numbers of dismissals by employers but by hesitation to refill vacancies and hire new staff • "The decline in new hires is a warning signal for future employment trends," said Luisa Kunze, labour market expert at the Bertelsmann Stiftung, which commissioned the IW study