The metal and electrical industry is the heart of German manufacturing. Although it includes the giant car companies, the sector is still largely comprised of small and medium-sized companies.
A survey of 1,553 companies in the metal and electrical industry about their attitude to binding collective bargaining shows that two thirds of these firms are satisfied with their binding sector-level agreements.
Trends like power train electrification and autonomous driving are causing a major structural change in vehicle manufacturing. This study will analyse to what extent German vehicle manu-facturers are ready to cope with these challenges.
In 2015 labour costs in western German manufacturing industry were 40.90 euros per employee-hour, putting the region sixth out of a total of 44 countries in the IW labour cost comparison. Its labour costs are almost a quarter higher than the average for highly industrialised nations.
Structural change and economic growth
Structural change is pervasive and affects economies worldwide – some for the worse, many for the better. In order to reap the benefits promised by structural change, many countries have tried to strengthen their service sectors. A new study presented by the Cologne Institute for Economic Research (IW) shows: They are playing their cards wrong.
Heading for Industry 4.0?
First Impressions from the IW Human Resources Panel
In 2014 labour costs per full-time employee in manufacturing industry increased in western and eastern Germany by 2.4 per cent and 4.1 per cent respectively, making cost dynamics in both parts of...
A growth engine in the global economy
In 2013 labour costs in western German manufacturing were running at 38.77 euros per employee hour. This puts western Germany in sixth place among the 44 countries covered by the IW Labour Costs...
Managing Director, Head of the Research
Tel+49 221 4981-750
Mailbardt@iwkoeln.de
@H_Bardt
