Start-ups secure 1.6 million jobs

A Roland Berger study shows how important start-up jobs are for the economy. Their importance could even increase significantly by 2030.

In Germany, around 415,000 people work for start-ups or scale-ups. In total, the sector has created or indirectly secures 1.6 million jobs. These are the findings of a new study conducted by management consultants Roland Berger together with the Internet Economy Foundation, the German Startups Association and Deutsche Börse. "We now have in black and white the role that the start-up and scale-up ecosystem plays in our labor market, our competitiveness and the preservation of our prosperity as a whole," says Friedbert Pflüger, Chairman of the Internet Economy Foundation. "We must support this job engine so that Germany can fully develop its enormous potential." Pflüger sees France as a role model, where start-ups are the top priority of the economy.

The number of employees in the sector has risen at an above-average rate, particularly in the years since 2018. The job potential is huge: according to the authors, a direct increase in employment from 415,000 to 974,000 by 2030 is within the realms of possibility. To achieve this, the proportion of start-up and scale-up employees in total employment would have to rise to a level similar to that currently seen in the UK. "This must be an incentive for a new federal government to turn Germany into a start-up nation," says Christian Miele, head of the German Startups Association. "Start-ups must be at the top of the political agenda and become a matter for the boss. Even in the first 100 days, it must be clear that strengthening start-ups is a top priority."