Employment trends in the German coal mining regions Lusatia, central Germany, and the Rhineland.

Project Background

As part of the brief study, Arepo analyzed the development of jobs in the lignite regions in Germany. The study showed that structural change in the lignite sector has long been a fact. In lignite opencast mines and power plants of the general supply, only about 20,000 direct jobs still existed in 2017. According to the coal association DEBRIV, the RWE-operated Rhenish mining area had less than 9,000 jobs left in the sector, less than 2,600 workers were still employed in the central German district, and less than 7,900 jobs still existed in Lusatia. Thus, the share of employees in the lignite sector compared to the total number of employees that are subject to social security contributions is only in the per thousand range – at federal level as well as in each state concerned (Brandenburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt).

Type and scope of services

Arepo was responsible for the entire study. The authors analyzed existing labor market and employment statistics, described them in a reader-oriented manner, and outlined the already existing, overarching structural developments in the districts. On the basis of the statements made by the relevant chambers of commerce and industry as well as the annual reports of the companies concerned, the team also outlined which strategies the actors are already applying to master the structural change independently.

The study was received in numerous media throughout Germany.