Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2025, published 114th ILC session (2026)

Labour Statistics Convention, 1985 (No. 160) - Germany (Ratification: 1991)

Article 7 of the Convention. Employment, unemployment and underemployment statistics. The Committee notes that statistics on the economically active population, employment, unemployment and visible underemployment continue to be regularly transmitted to the ILO Department of Statistics for dissemination through ILOSTAT. These data are collected via the EU Labour Force Survey, which is integrated into the Microcensus Act (Mikrozensusgesetz – Act to Carry Out a Representative Statistical Survey of the Population, Labour Market and Household Living Conditions) and based on the ILO methodological framework. The Committee further notes that, following the reorganization of social statistics within the European Statistical System (ESS), the provisions of Regulation (EU) 2019/1700 and its implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/2240 – both aligned with ILO methodological recommendations – have been incorporated into national legislation through the Microcensus Act. Finally, these provisions ensure the application of the Resolution concerning statistics of work, employment and labour underutilization adopted by the 19th ICLS (2013), implemented through the EU Labour Force Survey since 2021. The Committee encourages the Government to maintain the regular communication of these statistics to the ILO Department of Statistics. 

Article 8. Statistics on the structure and distribution of the economically active population. The Committee notes that statistics on the structure and distribution of the economically active population continue to be regularly communicated to the ILO Department of Statistics. It further notes that, since the 2011 census, the Government has introduced a register-based census system, which relies primarily on population registers (local municipal records of residents) and registers of the Federal Employment Agency (employment status). These registers are combined with small sample surveys, such as the Microcensus, to ensure accuracy. The Committee requests the Government to supply up-to-date information on plans for future population censuses, including the related concepts, definitions and methodology. It also invites the Government to provide details on the implementation of the Resolution concerning statistics on work relationships adopted at the 20th ICLS (2018), as well as the Resolution on statistics of the informal economy adopted at the 21st ICLS (2023). Finally, the Committee encourages the Government to continue transmitting these statistics regularly to the ILO Department of Statistics.

Article 9. Current statistics of average earnings and hours of work. Statistics of time rates of wages and normal hours of work. The Committee notes that, according to ILOSTAT, earnings statistics are derived from the Structure of Earnings Survey (SES), while data on hours of work come from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) and the EU Statistics on Income and Living Conditions (EU-SILC) (Article 9(1)). Current data on average hours of work are available on the Federal Statistical Office website and in the Eurostat database. The Committee observes that the Government’s report does not provide information on time rates of wages or normal hours of work (Article 9(2)). In the absence of such information, the Committee requests the Government to supply statistics on time rates of wages and normal hours of work in compliance with Article 9(2).

Article 10. Statistics of wage structure and distribution. The Committee notes that no new information has been provided in the Government’s report and that reference is made to the previous report. Recalling that in previous reports, information was provided on statistics of the structure and distribution of wages, the Committee encourages the Government to continue to ensure the regular communication of such statistics to the ILO Department of Statistics and to provide any updates in its next report.

Article 14. Statistics of occupational injuries. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government indicating that statistics on occupational injuries are derived from statutory accidents insurance records. These are compiled as part of business and accounting statistics by the accident insurance institutions, in accordance with official instructions, and transmitted to their umbrella organizations, namely the Germany Social Accident Insurance (DGUV) and the Social Insurance Fund for Agriculture, Forestry and Horticulture (SVLFG). The Federal Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs (BMAS) subsequently aggregates these data at the federal level. The Committee further notes that individual data outside the scope of these instructions are available from BMAS only for pensions and occupational diseases, while information on absences due to injuries caused by workplace accidents or occupational diseases is not collected in in the country. The Committee observes that the results are published annually in the report Safety and Health at Work of the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAUA) and are regularly communicated to the ILO Department of Statistics via the corresponding chapter of its annual questionnaire on labour statistics for dissemination through ILOSTAT. The Committee invites the Government to continue providing statistics on occupational accidents and, as soon as available, information on occupational diseases to the ILO Department of Statistics, in particular in light of the inclusion of “Occupational safety and health” as a fundamental principle and right at work, adopted by the International Labour Conference at its 110th session in June 2022, under paragraph 2 of the 1998 ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work.

Article 15. Statistics of industrial disputes. The Committee notes that statistics on strikes and lockouts and industrial relations continue to be regularly transmitted to the ILO Department of Statistics through the annual labour statistics questionnaire. These data are gathered by the Federal Employment Agency based on information received from employers and records of workers’ organizations, with the latest year available being 2024. The Committee welcomes the efforts undertaken to improve the quality of the statistics on industrial action and various steps taken to address underreporting. Among those are awareness-raising in labour administration; establishment of a simpler notification process for associations, particularly; to improve data collection and validation; and to carry out multiple updates to the Instructions regarding industrial action measures and to the notification forms. The Committee encourages the Government to continue submitting up-to-date statistics on industrial relations to the ILO Department of Statistics and to provide information on any changes relevant to the application of this Article of the Convention.