The labour turnover rate in Germany has recently ranged between 25 and 30 percent. While the turnover rate does not indicate a higher mobility in comparison with previous decades, the development of the churning rate suggests that mobility may have increased since 2006. In general, the employment turnover of older workers is lower. This does not only apply to interfirm mobility, but also to the re-entry into the labor force. Econometric evidence suggests that a growing reservation wage may be detrimental to the incentives particularly of older workers to resume work after a period of non-employment. In addition, the likelihood of a job change even among older workers increases as job satisfaction declines. Finally, the impact of both the level of acquired skills and that of required competences on the likelihood of a job change attenuates with growing age.
Andrea Hammermann / Jörg Schmidt / Oliver Stettes IW-Analyse No. 149 27. July 2022
Labour turnover in Germany
Labour turnover in Germany tends to be relatively constant over time but decreases slightly in times of economic crisis, such as the Global Financial Crisis of 2008-2009 or the Covid-19 pandemic.
Andrea Hammermann / Jörg Schmidt / Oliver Stettes IW
Annette Dietz / Andrea Hammermann / Oliver Stettes IW-Report No. 33 10. June 2022
Behind the scenes of upheaval and change: Businesses in the transformation process
The pressure on companies and their employees to change and adapt is enormous against the background of megatrends such as digital and ecological change.
Annette Dietz / Andrea Hammermann / Oliver Stettes IW
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German Economic Institute (IW) 
