German Automotive Industry Employees Hold Top Position in E-mobility Skills

Employees in the German automotive industry are better qualified in e-mobility than employees in other Western countries. This is a finding by EconPol Europe researchers using data from the career network LinkedIn. In the German automotive industry, 6.2 percent of the employees on the online platform have skills in e-mobility. In the Italian automotive industry, the figure is 4.6 percent; in the US, 3.7 percent; in France, 3.3 percent; and in Spain, 2.4 percent. All values are based on employees’ self-reported data from 2023.

These skills are also widespread among German suppliers. “It’s no coincidence that German suppliers have become key suppliers to electric car manufacturers worldwide,” explains study author Oliver Falck, Director of the ifo Center for Industrial Organization and New Technologies.

A similar picture emerges with regard to the “green skills” of employees in manufacturing as a whole. According to the study, 17.9 percent of employees on LinkedIn in Germany have these skills. In Spain and the United States, the figure is 15.3 percent each, followed by France (15.2 percent) and Italy (13.3 percent).

The study is based on evaluations of user profiles on LinkedIn. “Official data doesn’t provide a comprehensive picture of the skills in the automotive industry workforce,” Falck says. What’s decisive is the data that users themselves provide on the career platform. 

Questions can be directed to: Prof. Oliver Falck, 0049 / 89 / 9224 1370, Falck@ifo.de