Approximately 2.2 million people in Germany were employed under fixed-term contracts in 2025. According to initial results from the Microcensus released by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on Thursday, this figure represented 6.0 percent of all employed persons aged 15 to 64 who were considered key workers-meaning they were not in training, university, or volunteer service.
This proportion has slightly decreased over the past decade; it stood at 7.0 percent in 2015. There were minimal differences between genders: 6.2 percent of key female workers and 5.7 percent of male workers were employed on fixed terms last year.
Fixed-term employees are grouped with part-time staff (working up to 20 hours a week), marginally employed individuals, and those in temporary or agency work to form the category of “atypically employed.” In 2025, the total number of atypically employed individuals was around 6.4 million, representing 17.2 percent of key workers. This figure also shows a downward trend compared to 2015, when it accounted for a substantial one-fifth (20.8 percent) of workers.
The decline was more pronounced in other forms of atypical employment. For example, the proportion of part-time workers (up to 20 hours a week) dropped from 13.4 percent to 10.9 percent during the same period. Similarly, the share of marginally employed individuals fell from 6.5 percent to 4.1 percent. The exception to these trends was temporary agency work, which saw a slight increase in employment share, rising from 1.8 percent to 2.0 percent.
Demographics show that younger workers are more likely to hold a fixed-term contract than older workers. In 2025, 18.3 percent of key workers aged 15 to 25 had fixed-term contracts, while the rate for those aged 25 to 35 was 10.2 percent. The proportion steadily decreases with age: it was 5.6 percent for those aged 35 to 45, 3.8 percent for those aged 45 to 55, and 2.8 percent for those aged 55 to 65. One possible reason for this trend is that younger people are in the transition from education to employment, and entry into the workforce often occurs through limited-term positions.
Educational attainment is also linked to the probability of fixed-term employment. In 2025, 11.6 percent of key workers with no formal vocational qualification held fixed-term jobs. Among highly qualified employees, such as those with a master’s title or university degree, the share was 6.4 percent. The lowest rate was observed among employees with a medium vocational qualification, where only 4.0 percent had fixed-term contracts.
The percentage of fixed-term employees varies by industry. The highest proportion in 2025 was found in the education sector (11.2 percent), followed by the hospitality industry (8.8 percent) and the arts, entertainment, and private domestic services sector (8.2 percent). Conversely, the share of workers on fixed-term contracts was comparatively low in construction and in the finance and real estate sectors (both 2.5 percent).
Regarding the reasons for fixed-term contracts, data from the labour force survey indicated that nearly one-third (31.4 percent) of fixed-term employees aged 25 and over stated that the position was only advertised as temporary. An additional 16.9 percent were in training (a group also included in the survey). Twelve point nine percent cited a trial contract as the reason for the fixed term, while 8.2 percent accepted the contract because they could not find a permanent position. In contrast, 2.7 percent deliberately chose a fixed-term employment arrangement. Finally, 28.0 percent reported that the fixed-term employment was due to other reasons.
Most fixed-term contracts are relatively short. According to the labour force survey, more than half (52.4 percent) of fixed-term employees aged 25 and over held contracts with a duration of less than one year. Possible reasons for these extremely short durations include trial periods or temporary maternity cover. For 21.3 percent of respondents, the term was between one and two years, while another 14.7 percent reported contracts lasting two to under three years. 11.6 percent indicated they held contracts for more than three years.
