Employment in the defense sector

Full speed ahead on hiring

The current upswing is not a purely German development. Defense spending is rising across Europe. Many countries have catching up to do, because their stocks are below the pre-2022 level, partly due to the support for Ukraine. The higher investments in defense lead to considerable employment effects that vary greatly from region to region, according to a study by DekaBank and EY. The highest absolute effects are accordingly expected in Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom. The initiators of the analysis assume that the investments in Germany alone will create or secure 50,000 jobs. According to the Federal Association of the German Security and Defense Industry (BDSV), around 135,700 people were directly employed in the industry in 2025, plus suppliers from civilian sectors. However, this figure is likely already outdated.

Other industries also benefit from the increased investments in defense, e.g. IT, electronics or the construction sector. Many companies from the civilian sphere are also considering entering the defense sector, at least partially. Hardly a day goes by without reports of cooperation intentions or concrete projects.