20–24-year-old residents of Germany are demonstrating the highest level of economic activity in the labor market in recent decades. Their level of economic activity, that is, the proportion of people who work or are actively looking for work, increased between 2015 and 2025 by 7.1 percentage points, reaching 76.8%, according to an analysis by the Nuremberg Institute for Employment Research and Professions (Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung, IAB).
According to IAB data, since 2023 this indicator has increased by another 0.9 percentage points, despite weak economic activity. For comparison, in the 25–64 age group, the long-term trend of increasing economic activity also continued: between 2015 and 2025 the indicator increased by 3.1 percentage points.
Refuting prejudices and the role of students
The results of the analysis, according to its authors, refute common prejudices about the allegedly low willingness to work among representatives of Generation Z. An important role in this is played by the fact that students today more often work in parallel with their studies, which generally increases the level of economic activity of young people.
This trend is also noticeable during the analysis of various industries: 20–24-year-olds more often work in the food sector and in the hotel and restaurant business, as well as in trade — typical areas for part-time jobs. At the same time, in general, representatives of this age group work in many professions, similar to older age groups.
Research methodology
For the analysis, the authors used special data from the German Microcensus (Mikrozensus), as well as statistical data from the Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit). The given indicators of economic activity relate to persons with German citizenship. In this study, Generation Z includes people born from 1995.
Source: Der Spiegel
