A significant decline in the number of sought-after jobs within Germany’s automotive industry, specifically those focused on electric mobility, has been observed. Data released on Monday by the Ifo Institute and the job platform Indeed, analyzing approximately 1.7 million job postings from 2,400 companies, reveals a considerable shift in the sector’s hiring landscape.
While in June 2025, companies prioritizing electric mobility held a near 20% advantage in open positions compared to those focused on internal combustion engines, hiring demand at “green” companies – those specializing in electric vehicle technology – has plummeted by 81% relative to late 2023. Oliver Falck, Head of the Ifo Center for Innovation Economics and Digital Transformation, noted this represents a substantial slowdown in the structural transformation of the industry.
Overall, the number of open positions across the German automotive sector has fallen by two-thirds since reaching a peak in August 2023, representing the lowest level of job postings since the COVID-19 pandemic. Annina Hering, labor market expert at Indeed, highlighted the particularly concerning situation facing automotive suppliers, whose job advertisements have not recovered since a decline observed in 2019. At suppliers, open positions have decreased by approximately 82% compared to May 2019.
The study examined nearly 1.7 million online job postings on Indeed between January 2018 and June 2025. Companies were categorized based on their patent portfolios related to powertrain technology, differentiating between those focused on electric mobility (“green” companies) and those focused on internal combustion engines (“brown” companies).
