Seven in ten people who had themselves migrated to Germany were in work in 2025, among those aged 15 to 64. The employment rate has risen by 13 percentage points since 2005, but it remained 11 points below the rate for people with no immigration history.
Germany had 52.7 million residents aged 15 to 64 in 2025, including 12.8 million people who had immigrated themselves. Employment stood at 70 percent among the descendants of two immigrant parents and 72 percent among people with one immigrant parent. The rate for people with no immigration history was 81 percent.
A persistent gender gap
Among people who had immigrated, 76 percent of men were employed, compared with 62 percent of women. The corresponding figures for people with no immigration history were 83 percent for men and 79 percent for women.
Earnings and job security remain uneven
The reported gross-income measure for full-time employees was 3,494 euros for people who had immigrated, compared with 4,165 euros for those with no immigration history, a gap of 16 percent. The figure was 3,676 euros for descendants of immigrants and 3,997 euros for people with one immigrant parent.
Job security perceptions also differed. In 2025, 55 percent of people who had immigrated said they were not worried about their jobs, compared with 71 percent of people with no immigration history.
The figures come from the 2025 microcensus and cover people aged 15 to 64 living in private households. People living in communal accommodation, including refugees in such facilities, are excluded. The 70 percent rate refers to people who personally migrated to Germany; it is not a figure for everyone with an immigration background.
