State dossier for North Rhine-Westphalia: live jobs by field, occupation, employer and place, official statistics and the national rules that apply here.
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By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
North Rhine-Westphalia (Nordrhein-Westfalen) is one of Germany's 16 states (Bundesländer). It has 18,034,454 residents (21.6% of Germany, Eurostat 2025), +0.9% since 2016, about 8,529,000 employed people aged 15–64, an unemployment rate of 4.2% and GDP per head of €48,600 (2024). Today 62,376 ads are live in North Rhine-Westphalia, i.e. 7.3 per 1,000 jobs.
See all 62,376 jobs in North Rhine-Westphalia →Country guide: GermanyCologneDüsseldorfDortmund
| Indicator ⇅ | North Rhine-Westphalia ⇅ | Germany ⇅ |
|---|---|---|
| Population (1 Jan 2025) | 18,034,454 | 83,577,140 |
| Employed, 15–64 (2025) | 8,529,000 | 40,596,900 |
| Unemployment rate, ILO 15–74 (2025), % | 4.2 | 3.8 |
| GDP per head, € (2024) | 48,600 | 51,800 |
| Area, km² | 34,110 | 357,600 |
| People per km² | 529 | 234 |
Employed persons and unemployment come from the EU labour force survey (place of residence); they may differ from administrative counts of the Federal Employment Agency.
62,376 live ads. The tables below count ads by field, occupation, employer and place.
| Field ⇅ | Live ads ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|---|
| Retail sales (general) | 5,580 | 8.9% |
| Warehousing, postal and delivery, freight handling | 3,965 | 6.4% |
| Mechanical engineering and plant technology | 3,362 | 5.4% |
| Metalworking | 2,601 | 4.2% |
| Education and social work | 2,209 | 3.5% |
| Energy technology | 2,141 | 3.4% |
| Nursing, emergency services and midwifery | 1,910 | 3.1% |
| Construction and transport machinery operation | 1,771 | 2.8% |
| Office and secretariat | 1,675 | 2.7% |
| Purchasing and sales | 1,541 | 2.5% |
| Metal construction and welding | 1,488 | 2.4% |
| Business organisation and strategy | 1,294 | 2.1% |
| Electrical engineering | 1,246 | 2.0% |
| Accounting, controlling and auditing | 1,242 | 2.0% |
| Elderly care | 1,179 | 1.9% |
| Human and dental medicine | 1,103 | 1.8% |
| Mechatronics and automation | 1,048 | 1.7% |
| Cleaning | 973 | 1.6% |
| Vehicle, aerospace and shipbuilding technology | 955 | 1.5% |
| Insurance and financial services | 923 | 1.5% |
| Computer science / IT | 898 | 1.4% |
| Construction planning, supervision and architecture | 857 | 1.4% |
| Road vehicle driving | 834 | 1.3% |
| Medical and practice assistance | 826 | 1.3% |
| Human resources and staffing services | 777 | 1.2% |
| Occupation ⇅ | German title ⇅ | Live ads ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salesperson (retail) | Verkäufer/in | 2,486 | 4.0% |
| Retail clerk | Kaufmann/-frau - Einzelhandel | 1,867 | 3.0% |
| Forklift driver | Gabelstaplerfahrer/in | 1,647 | 2.6% |
| Warehouse and transport assistant | Helfer/in - Lagerwirtschaft, Transport | 1,629 | 2.6% |
| Industrial mechanic | Industriemechaniker/in | 1,403 | 2.2% |
| Industrial electronics technician | Elektroniker/in - Betriebstechnik | 1,081 | 1.7% |
| Warehouse and transport worker | Lager- und Transportarbeiter/in | 1,070 | 1.7% |
| Mechatronics technician | Mechatroniker/in | 1,046 | 1.7% |
| Warehouse logistics specialist | Fachkraft - Lagerlogistik | 1,037 | 1.7% |
| Machine and plant operator | Maschinen- und Anlagenführer/in (ohne Angabe des Schwerpunkts) | 959 | 1.5% |
| Metalworking assistant | Helfer/in - Metallbearbeitung | 823 | 1.3% |
| Sales assistant | Helfer/in - Verkauf | 815 | 1.3% |
| Kindergarten / early-years teacher | Erzieher/in | 773 | 1.2% |
| Cleaning assistant | Helfer/in - Reinigung | 764 | 1.2% |
| Office management clerk | Kaufmann/-frau - Büromanagement | 760 | 1.2% |
| Elderly care nurse | Altenpfleger/in | 727 | 1.2% |
| Electronics technician (energy and building) | Elektroniker/in - Energie- und Gebäudetechnik | 699 | 1.1% |
| Industrial clerk | Industriekaufmann/-frau | 683 | 1.1% |
| Machining mechanic (CNC) | Zerspanungsmechaniker/in | 674 | 1.1% |
| Warehouse specialist | Fachlagerist/in | 673 | 1.1% |
| Order picker | Kommissionierer/in | 671 | 1.1% |
| Social worker / social pedagogue | Sozialarbeiter/in / Sozialpädagoge/-pädagogin | 668 | 1.1% |
| Office clerk | Bürokaufmann/-frau | 642 | 1.0% |
| Professional driver | Berufskraftfahrer/in | 632 | 1.0% |
| Industrial fitter | Betriebsschlosser/in | 570 | 0.9% |
| Employer ⇅ | Live ads ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|---|
| Lidl Dienstleistung GmbH & Co. KG | 1,731 | 2.8% |
| Randstad Deutschland | 1,308 | 2.1% |
| TERO GmbH | 763 | 1.2% |
| DIS AG Germany | 752 | 1.2% |
| AUREA GmbH | 639 | 1.0% |
| TriTec HR GmbH | 639 | 1.0% |
| ALDI Einkauf SE & Co. OHG | 500 | 0.8% |
| Deichmann SE | 383 | 0.6% |
| TEDi GmbH & Co. KG | 333 | 0.5% |
| IFÜREL EMSR-Technik GmbH & Co. KG | 329 | 0.5% |
| PS Direkt GmbH & Co. KG | 328 | 0.5% |
| rocket match powered by notificAI GmbH | 307 | 0.5% |
| TimePartner Personalmanagement GmbH | 304 | 0.5% |
| tw.con. GmbH | 290 | 0.5% |
| feltenpersonal GmbH | 289 | 0.5% |
| REWE Markt GmbH | 283 | 0.5% |
| BS Menzel GmbH | 282 | 0.5% |
| BESTpro Personalkonzepte GmbH | 274 | 0.4% |
| Herrmann Personaldienste GmbH | 241 | 0.4% |
| AlphaConsult Premium KG | 219 | 0.4% |
| Workwise GmbH | 218 | 0.3% |
| DHL AG Zentrale | 212 | 0.3% |
| REWE | 204 | 0.3% |
| MANPOWER GmbH & Co. KG | 199 | 0.3% |
| PS Direkt GmbH Co. KG | 193 | 0.3% |
Staffing agencies (Zeitarbeit) are included; see each employer page for the flag.
| Place ⇅ | Live ads ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|---|
| Köln | 4,637 | 7.4% |
| Düsseldorf | 3,686 | 5.9% |
| Dortmund | 2,386 | 3.8% |
| Essen, Ruhr | 2,193 | 3.5% |
| Bonn | 1,753 | 2.8% |
| Duisburg | 1,741 | 2.8% |
| Münster, Westfalen | 1,548 | 2.5% |
| Bielefeld | 1,475 | 2.4% |
| Wuppertal | 1,274 | 2.0% |
| Bochum | 1,267 | 2.0% |
| Krefeld | 1,101 | 1.8% |
| Aachen | 987 | 1.6% |
| Mönchengladbach | 973 | 1.6% |
| Mülheim an der Ruhr | 825 | 1.3% |
| Neuss | 797 | 1.3% |
| Paderborn | 775 | 1.2% |
| Oberhausen, Rheinland | 754 | 1.2% |
| Hagen, Westfalen | 721 | 1.2% |
| Gelsenkirchen | 706 | 1.1% |
| Hamm, Westfalen | 681 | 1.1% |
| Solingen | 656 | 1.1% |
| Leverkusen | 613 | 1.0% |
| Gütersloh | 573 | 0.9% |
| Remscheid | 559 | 0.9% |
| Bottrop | 481 | 0.8% |
Places are as the Bundesagentur names them; ads within the radius the agency assigns to the place name.
Indicators come from structured fields in the ads; many ads leave them blank. They describe current offers, not the whole labour market.
| City ⇅ | Population 2025 ⇅ | Live ads in the city ⇅ | Ads per 1,000 residents ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cologne | 1,024,621 | 4,637 | 5 |
| Düsseldorf | 618,685 | 3,686 | 6 |
| Dortmund | 603,462 | 2,386 | 4 |
| Essen | 574,682 | 2,193 | 4 |
| Duisburg | 502,270 | 1,741 | 3 |
| Bochum | 358,676 | 1,267 | 4 |
| Wuppertal | 358,193 | 1,274 | 4 |
| Bielefeld | 331,605 | 1,475 | 4 |
| Bonn | 323,336 | 1,753 | 5 |
| Münster | 308,258 | 1,548 | 5 |
| Gelsenkirchen | 267,930 | 706 | 3 |
| Mönchengladbach | 267,213 | 973 | 4 |
| Aachen | 262,670 | 987 | 4 |
| Krefeld | 231,406 | 1,101 | 5 |
| Oberhausen | 213,646 | 754 | 4 |
| Hagen | 190,384 | 721 | 4 |
| Hamm | 179,968 | 681 | 4 |
| Mülheim an der Ruhr | 173,050 | 825 | 5 |
| Leverkusen | 168,581 | 613 | 4 |
| Place ⇅ | Live ads ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Köln | 4,637 |
| Düsseldorf | 3,686 |
| Dortmund | 2,386 |
| Essen, Ruhr | 2,193 |
| Bonn | 1,753 |
| Duisburg | 1,741 |
| Münster, Westfalen | 1,548 |
| Bielefeld | 1,475 |
| Wuppertal | 1,274 |
| Bochum | 1,267 |
| Krefeld | 1,101 |
| Aachen | 987 |
| Mönchengladbach | 973 |
| Mülheim an der Ruhr | 825 |
| Neuss | 797 |
| Paderborn | 775 |
| Oberhausen, Rheinland | 754 |
| Hagen, Westfalen | 721 |
| Gelsenkirchen | 706 |
| Hamm, Westfalen | 681 |
| Solingen | 656 |
| Leverkusen | 613 |
| Gütersloh | 573 |
| Remscheid | 559 |
| Bottrop | 481 |
| Ratingen | 470 |
| Herne, Westfalen | 461 |
| Siegen | 460 |
| Rheine | 458 |
| Lüdenscheid | 417 |
| Recklinghausen, Westfalen | 411 |
| Minden, Westfalen | 408 |
| Wesel am Rhein | 398 |
| Bergisch Gladbach | 388 |
| Bocholt | 370 |
| Troisdorf | 344 |
| Herford | 337 |
| Emsdetten | 337 |
| Greven, Westfalen | 336 |
| Witten | 332 |
Mean annual gross earnings of employees in enterprises with 10 or more employees were €48,655 in 2022 (about €4,055 a month): men €54,375, women €42,325. The table splits them by broad occupation group (ISCO-08 major groups).
| Occupation group ⇅ | Mean annual gross € ⇅ | ≈ per month € ⇅ | Men € ⇅ | Women € ⇅ | Gap men vs women ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Managers | 111,275 | 9,273 | 122,563 | 80,940 | 34% |
| Professionals | 72,211 | 6,018 | 82,041 | 61,320 | 25% |
| Technicians and associate professionals | 53,017 | 4,418 | 62,701 | 45,472 | 27% |
| Clerical support workers | 43,425 | 3,619 | 47,200 | 41,008 | 13% |
| Service and sales workers | 33,728 | 2,811 | 34,866 | 33,155 | 5% |
| Skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers | 34,404 | 2,867 | 35,714 | 27,822 | 22% |
| Craft and related trades workers | 42,566 | 3,547 | 43,266 | 35,525 | 18% |
| Plant and machine operators and assemblers | 40,198 | 3,350 | 41,170 | 34,666 | 16% |
| Elementary occupations | 29,284 | 2,440 | 31,658 | 27,352 | 14% |
| Armed forces occupations | 43,730 | 3,644 | 46,673 | 38,801 | 17% |
Gap = (men − women) ÷ men, unadjusted for hours, age, occupation within group or industry. Figures are 2022 and do not include enterprises with fewer than 10 employees; wages have risen since. Groups are broad: a nurse and a doctor are not in the same group, but a baker and an electrician are.
The statutory minimum wage is €13.90 per hour from 1 January 2026 (Eurostat shows a full-time monthly equivalent of €2,343 for 2026, €2,161 for 2025). A further step to €14.60 on 1 January 2027 was set by the Minimum Wage Commission and the Federal Government: confirm on the official site. Mini-job earnings limit 2026: €603 a month (€7,236 a year).
Wages by state are not shown: the official table above is national.
| Topic ⇅ | Rule in short ⇅ | Source ⇅ |
|---|---|---|
| Working time | Up to 8 hours a day, extendable to 10 if the average over 6 months is 8; breaks of 30 min after 6 hours and 45 min after 9; 11 hours rest between shifts (ArbZG §§3–5). | law text |
| Paid holiday | At least 24 working days on a 6-day week, i.e. 20 days on a 5-day week; full entitlement after 6 months of employment (BUrlG §§3–4). Many contracts and collective agreements give 25–30 days. | law text |
| Sick pay | Full pay for up to 6 weeks per illness from the 5th week of employment (EFZG §3); then statutory sickness benefit from the health fund. | law text |
| Notice period | Statutory basic notice 4 weeks to the 15th or end of a month; longer for the employer after 2 years of service (up to 7 months after 20 years); probation up to 6 months with 2 weeks' notice (BGB §622). Contracts and collective agreements may differ. | law text |
| Dismissal protection | The Protection Against Dismissal Act applies after 6 months of employment in establishments with more than 10 employees (KSchG §§1, 23): dismissal needs a valid reason. | law text |
| Minimum wage | €13.90 per hour from 1 January 2026 (MiLoG); some sectors have higher collective minimums. | law text |
| Maternity and parental leave | Maternity protection 6 weeks before and 8 weeks after birth (12 weeks in special cases) (MuSchG); parental leave up to 3 years per child and parental allowance (Elterngeld) of 65–67% of net income, within a minimum €300 and maximum €1,800 a month (BEEG). | law text |
| Works council | Employees in establishments with at least 5 permanent employees may elect a works council with co-determination rights (BetrVG §1). | law text |
Summaries of statutes in force; individual contracts, collective agreements and later amendments can change your position. Ask a labour-law adviser, a union or a works council.
Rules change often; this is a starting map, not legal advice.
See the tax and contribution tables. The calculator below applies them.
Type the gross monthly salary you were offered. We apply the 2026 income-tax tariff and employee social contributions.
Method: tax class I (single, no children), no other income, standard work-related expenses €1,230 and special-expenses €36, employee pension/health/care contributions deducted as provisions, income tax by § 32a EStG 2026, solidarity surcharge with the 2026 threshold. It is an estimate: the real payroll uses the official Federal Ministry of Finance payroll tax program, tax class, children, allowances, 13th salary and company benefits, so the payslip will differ. Not advice.
Every day we store how many ads are live for North Rhine-Westphalia. The Bundesagentur publishes no history, so this series becomes unique data. The trend line appears from the second day of tracking; today: 62,376 live ads.
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