The real revenue in licensed crafts in Germany decreased by 2.1 percent in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same quarter last year. According to provisional results released by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on Wednesday, the number of people employed in licensed crafts at the end of March 2026 was 1.6 percent lower than at the end of March 2025.
The construction trades experienced the sharpest real revenue decline across all commercial sectors within licensed crafts in Q1 2026, falling by 7.3 percent compared to the previous year. This was followed by the expansion trades, which saw a decrease of 3.8 percent. Crafts serving commercial needs and crafts serving private needs recorded declines of 1.1 percent and 0.6 percent, respectively, during the same period.
On a positive note, the healthcare sector reported the highest real revenue increase in Q1 2026, up by 1.7 percent year-over-year. Furthermore, real revenues grew slightly in the motor vehicle trade (+0.3 percent) and the food trade (+0.1 percent).
Regarding employment, the total number of people engaged in the seven groups of licensed crafts fell by 1.6 percent at the end of March 2026 compared to the end of March 2025. The steepest drop in employment occurred in crafts serving commercial needs, which registered a decrease of 2.6 percent.
In contrast, unlicensed crafts saw a real revenue increase of 2.6 percent in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the previous year. The greatest growth was recorded in crafts serving commercial needs, which jumped by 4.3 percent. Real revenues in crafts serving private needs rose by 0.8 percent. However, revenue declined in the construction trades and the food trade, falling by 4.7 percent and 2.2 percent, respectively.
