News

German car industry exaggerates job figures

July 15, 2009

The German car industry’s mathematics has been found to be somewhat dubious. The industry umbrella group, VDA, has for several months enjoyed telling the world that every seventh job in Germany is dependent on the car industry.

But the economics magazine Capital has analysed the provenance of this figure, and finds that at the root of the calculation is an assumption that if
there were no German car industry there would be noone driving cars in Germany.

An economics institute RWI says it would be more accurate to say every 20th job in Germany is dependent on the car industry.

Related Articles

View All
Cars

The corporate sector continues to lag behind private households for EV uptake

The EU's corporate car market stagnation is explained by poor progress in fleets electrification in Germany, France, Italy and Spain

Cars, Cities

Can we get out of our mobility habits?

Mobility policy needs systems thinking

System thinking is badly needed in mobility policy. The Covid-pandemic – undesired and unpleasant – provided two illustrations.

Cars, Planes, Ships, Trucks

Newly elected Von der Leyen’s big challenge: turning the Green Deal into Europe’s industrial and social deal

T&E's reaction to Ursula von de Leyen’s election as European Commission president for a second five-year term