Business · Economy · 1 hr ago
German crafts leader warns of up to 80,000 job losses a year
Jörg Dittrich, head of Germany’s crafts association, warns the sector is in crisis despite improved forecasts for the country’s wider economy.
He says the sector’s business confidence is as low as during the pandemic, while investment has fallen to levels last seen during the financial crisis.
More than 150,000 crafts jobs have disappeared in two years, Dittrich says.
Without action, he warns, the sector could lose 70,000 to 80,000 jobs each year.
He blames high payroll-related costs and says many business owners lack confidence or money to keep operating.
Dittrich wants lower costs and delivery on government promises, including changes to working hours and electricity taxes for crafts businesses.
He also backs later retirement and larger cuts to pensions for people who retire early, while warning that a planned pension reform may be delayed by upcoming political events.
German crafts leader Jörg Dittrich warned that the sector could lose 70,000 to 80,000 jobs a year if no action is taken.
More than 150,000 jobs in the sector have been lost over the past two years, he said.
Dittrich said high wage-related costs and living costs are putting businesses under pressure.
He called for lower wage-related costs and said business owners lack confidence or the money to keep operating.
He criticized the German government for not delivering on several promises to the crafts sector.
- Who
- Jörg Dittrich, president of the German Confederation of Skilled Crafts.
- What
- He warned that the crafts sector could lose 70,000 to 80,000 jobs a year if no action is taken.
- When
- He made the warning in an interview reported on 15 November 2026.
- Where
- Germany.
- Why
- He cited pressure from high wage-related and living costs, as well as business owners’ lack of confidence or funds.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
More than 150,000 jobs in the crafts sector were lost, Dittrich said.
Dittrich warned that the sector could lose up to 80,000 jobs a year if no action is taken.
- Annual job losses forecast
- 70,000 to 80,000 jobs if no action is taken
- Jobs lost in past two years
- More than 150,000
- Sector leader
- Jörg Dittrich
- Organization
- German Confederation of Skilled Crafts
- Published
- 15 November 2026
What people are saying
If no countermeasures are taken, the crafts sector will lose between 70,000 and 80,000 jobs per year.
Many business owners lack confidence; others simply lack the financial means. And then they close.
It is undignified how the crafts sector is being treated.