- The number of urban workers increased slightly
The number of people employed by the city of Hamburg has slightly increased last year despite significant age-related departures. In total, 69,833 people were employed by the city, which is 316 more than in 2022, as reported by the head of the Senate Chancellery, State Councillor Jan Pörksen. The increase was particularly notable in schools and the police force, which was partly offset by other areas through digitalization and centralization. In 2023, the city spent around 7.5 billion euros on its personnel.
For the first time, the total number of employees includes not only full-time staff in the core administration, state-owned enterprises, and universities, but also so-called third-party funded employees at universities. However, their number has not been included in the calculation of the personnel increase this year for better comparability, Pörksen said.
More than 57 percent of the city's employees are female, with 47 percent in leadership positions. The average age of all employees is 44.7 years, with 33 percent under 40 years old. 37 percent work part-time. The proportion of civil servants among all employees is 53 percent.
The sickness absence rate decreased by almost one percentage point compared to the previous year to 7.6 percent. The rate of severely disabled employees was 6.6 percent, which is 1.6 points above the legally required level.
Despite the general shortage of skilled workers, the city has successfully filled vacant positions. "This has a lot to do with the attractiveness of the city," Pörksen said. Training its own staff remains a high priority. "In total, we have increased training," he said. 1,345 young talents started their training or studies in 2023, compared to 1,218 in 2022.
The number of employees per 1,000 inhabitants in Hamburg remained stable at 35.6, which is a slight decrease of 0.2 points compared to the previous year.
The employment increase in schools and the police force contributed significantly to the overall employment growth in Hamburg last year. Despite the inclusion of third-party funded employees in the total count, the city still managed to see an increase of 316 individuals in employment.
The successful filling of vacant positions and the focus on training young talent are strategies to maintain and even enhance the city's employment level, as highlighted by State Councillor Jan Pörksen.
