Business

German defence companies recruit executives as managerial unemployment rises

Herz — Business Desk · 30 July 2026 at 10:39 · 30s summary · 3 min read

The essentials

German defence manufacturers are recruiting managers while the country’s industrial sector loses about 15,000 jobs a month, according to Handelsblatt. The number of registered unemployed managers has risen 14% over one year across all industries. Hensoldt plans to create 1,600 positions this year, including about 60 management roles, while Rheinmetall aims to hire more than 5,000 people worldwide. KNDS is also expanding its workforce. Employers are seeking expertise in IT, engineering, project management, procurement, sales and business development, with opportunities available to candidates from sectors including automotive and aerospace.

German industry is losing about 15,000 jobs per month.
Registered managerial unemployment rose 14% over one year.
Defence manufacturers are recruiting across several business and technical fields.
Hensoldt plans 1,600 positions, including about 60 management roles.
Rheinmetall aims to hire more than 5,000 people worldwide.

What we know

German industry is currently losing about 15,000 jobs per month. At the same time, the country has just under three million unemployed people.

The number of managers registered as unemployed has increased by 14% over one year across all industries.

The figure is based on data from the Federal Employment Agency, Germany’s main public body responsible for jobseekers, analysed for Handelsblatt.

Against this backdrop, German defence manufacturers continue to recruit managers in several fields, while other industrial sectors reduce their workforces.

Recruitment plans

KNDS, a European defence group and Franco-German armoured-vehicle manufacturer, recruited nearly 100 managers last year. It plans to hire just over 100 more over the coming years.

Hensoldt, a German specialist in defence electronics and radar systems, plans to create 1,600 positions this year. About 60 will be management roles.

Rheinmetall aims to recruit more than 5,000 employees worldwide this year. The company does not count management positions separately.

14%

Annual increase in registered unemployed managers in Germany

About 15,000

Industrial jobs lost each month in Germany

1,600

Positions Hensoldt plans to create this year

More than 5,000

Worldwide hires planned by Rheinmetall this year

Skills in demand

At Rheinmetall, candidates for management positions have particularly good prospects if they bring expertise in IT, project management, engineering or procurement, according to a company spokesperson.

Current defence-sector recruitment requests mainly concern sales and business development, according to executive recruiter Eva Brückner.

These roles are intended to help companies secure contracts linked to multibillion programmes from Germany’s federal government and the European Union, then develop new business.

Many manufacturers are also shifting from craft-style production to series production. This transition is increasing demand for programme managers.