Economic development in the Ruhr region   

The education & knowledge lead market recorded a slight increase in employment in the Ruhr metropolis. In 2023, 98,451 people were employed in this lead market. The majority of these work in schools and universities (45.9%), although it should be noted that civil servants are not included in the employment statistics. With an increase of 1,104 employees (+1.1 %), growth was slightly below the state and national figures (+1.4 %; +1.3 %). The positive development was driven by the core areas of pre-school education and research (+4.2 %; +6.4 %), which developed more dynamically than at state or national level. Regional focuses of the lead market are in Bochum, Herne and Dortmund.

The difference between employees subject to social security contributions and those not subject to social security contributions is greatest in the education & knowledge lead market (factor 1.51). One reason for this is the high number of civil servants who are not included in the statistics for employees subject to social insurance contributions. As there are many civil servants in the education system in particular, for example teachers and professors, the number of people in employment here is significantly higher. Measured by the number of active companies (3,052) and their total turnover of 1.36 billion euros, the education & knowledge lead market is the smallest in the Ruhr metropolis. During the period under review, the number of companies increased by 8.2 % and their total turnover by 5.5 %.

Digitalization is an omnipresent topic that is spreading across all industries. By using digital communication tools, information and data can be exchanged faster and more efficiently. These tools play a crucial role in accelerating business processes and facilitate data analysis by enabling a smooth flow of information.

In 2023, the digital communication lead market will be the smallest segment in the Ruhr metropolis with a share of 3.6% of total employment (corresponding to 67,070 employees). The share of the overall economy in this lead market in the Ruhr metropolitan area is below the national and state average (federal: 4.6%; NRW: 4.3%). However, this does not reflect the future importance of the sector. The majority of employees work in the core area of data processing services and software (61.6%). The Dortmund, Essen and Bochum locations in particular are characterized by a high degree of specialization in this area, also in comparison to the federal government. The majority of new jobs were in the area of data processing services and software (+1,623; +4.1%). The IT hardware sector also recorded solid growth, albeit at a lower level (+228; +4.0%). In contrast, neighboring services (trade, repair, infrastructure) recorded a decline of -1.1 % in the Ruhr metropolis, while they increased in the federal government and NRW (federal government: +2.1 %, NRW: +3.7 %).

Nevertheless, the digital communication lead market achieved an overall increase in turnover of +1.9% and the number of companies rose by +3.3%. Sales growth was recorded in all core areas during the period under review, with the data processing services and software sector standing out in particular with an increase of +12.1 %.

After the coronavirus pandemic, the leisure & events lead market was able to return to employment growth in 2023 (+ 1,601; +1.9 %). This is slightly above the national trend (+1.8 %), but below the state trend (+ 2.5 %). Employment growth took place in almost all submarkets. Only the submarkets "related services" and "related industries" failed to show positive employment growth (-224; -0.8 % and -7; -0.6 % respectively). Regionally, measured by the share of employees in the overall economy, the city of Essen stands out in this sector compared to the other Ruhr regions. However, it lags behind the national figure.

The number of people in employment in the lead market of leisure & events is also significantly higher than the number of employees subject to social insurance contributions (factor 1.38). This can also be attributed to many self-employed people, but also to people who work exclusively in a mini-job. On the one hand, there are many self-employed people in the event industry, such as caterers or event managers, and on the other hand, they often employ mini-jobbers, for example for service in the catering industry.

Turnover in 2022 rose sharply compared to the previous year (+16.3 %), as did the number of companies (+6.4 %). The core area of culture in particular recorded a strong increase in turnover of +46.1 %, followed by the core area of events, leisure, sport and tourism with an increase of +40.0 %. Overall, revenue in 2022 rose by +16.3% compared to the previous year, and the number of companies also increased by 6.4%.

The healthcare lead market is a key pillar for the provision of healthcare to people in the Ruhr metropolis, which can achieve significant progress through the increased use of digital technologies, both in the current pandemic and in general. Close dovetailing with the digital communication lead market is of central importance here. With 371,300 employees subject to social insurance contributions and a share of 20.0% of total employment, healthcare remains the most important lead market in the Ruhr metropolis, but only recorded a minimal increase of +0.1% of the total share. Inpatient and outpatient care as well as services in health-related retail, sport, social services and care are the most important sub-sectors of the healthcare sector. Between 2022 and 2023, the number of employees rose by 3,935 to 371,300 (+1.1 %), slightly above the national and regional trend (federal government: +0.8 % and NRW: +1.0 %). Regional focuses are particularly evident in Herne, Bottrop and the district of Recklinghausen.

The turnover of companies in the healthcare market recorded a positive development of +1.8%. While inpatient and outpatient care as well as the insurance and administration sectors recorded an increase (+3.3% and +4.0% respectively), there were significant sales losses in pharmaceuticals (-11.6%), related industries (-15.8%), medical technology (-11.9%) and laboratories (-10.2%). Overall, the number of companies in the healthcare market rose slightly by +2.6%.

The mobility lead market is undergoing an exciting development process that is characterized by numerous trends. The increased integration of electric vehicles into the market is particularly noticeable, which is largely driven by technological advances and government incentives to reduce emissions. But it is not only electric vehicles that are shaping the future of mobility. Shared mobility, which includes car sharing and ride hailing, is also becoming increasingly important.

This market currently accounts for 10.5% of total employment in the region. In 2023, 194,704 employees subject to social insurance contributions worked in this lead market. The submarkets of mobility management and logistics (61.5%) and mobility services, such as the operation of workshops and agencies (22.1%), accounted for the largest share of employment. Regionally, Hamm, Hagen, the district of Unna and Duisburg in particular show a clear specialization compared to the other Ruhr regions in terms of the share of employees in the overall economy. Between 2022 and 2023, the lead market recorded an increase in employment of +0.9 % (+1,692 employees), which is higher than the state trend and lower than the national trend (+0.3 %; +1.0 %).

Sales in 2022 increased in the mobility lead market (+6.8%), while the number of companies remained almost the same (+0.6%). The core areas of transport infrastructure (+24.6%) and mobility management and logistics (+11.9%) were the driving force behind the increase in turnover. Only the neighboring industrial sectors (-1.7%) were unable to record any positive development.
 

The fragile structure of our consumer world, which has long been characterized by the unconsidered consumption of resources and sometimes wasteful consumption, is undergoing constant change. In the sense economy, the focus is shifting from purely material growth and profit maximization to social added value and sustainability. Trends such as beyond plastic, minimalism and zero waste are shaping this paradigm shift. Companies and consumers are adapting their behaviour in order to reduce resource consumption and minimize waste. The state of North Rhine-Westphalia adopted a sustainability strategy in 2020. This pursues the "Sustainable Development Goals" (sustainability goals of the United Nations). Goals include climate protection measures and sustainable production. Sustainable consumption is linked to resource efficiency. The aim is to manage the earth's scarce resources without using them up completely. Another key objective of sustainable consumption is to take social factors into account when purchasing and using products.

Compared to 2021, sales in the lead market of sustainable consumption have risen by +2.1 %. The number of companies has also increased (+4.5%). The main growth drivers are retail with short-lived consumer goods as well as processes, materials and supplies. The remaining submarkets also achieved small gains.

In percentage terms, the lead market of sustainable consumption recorded the largest decline in employment at -2.1 % and thus developed more negatively than at state and national level (-0.3 % and -0.8 % respectively). The negative trend affected all submarkets with the exception of processes, materials (+1.1%). The share of total employment fell slightly to 6.7%. More than half of employees (61.1%) work in the core area of retail with short-lived consumer goods. The regional focus of the lead market is in the Wesel district, Herne, the Recklinghausen district and Mülheim an der Ruhr.

The resource efficiency lead market can make a significant contribution to creating a more sustainable future for the Ruhr metropolis. By promoting innovative technologies, processes and business models, the region can increase its resource efficiency and at the same time achieve ecological and economic benefits. The development and implementation of projects and initiatives aimed at resource efficiency can help to reduce environmental impact, strengthen competitiveness and create new jobs.

In 2023, 79,502 people worked in the resource efficiency lead market, which corresponds to a 4.3% share of total employment in the Ruhr metropolitan area. Employment in this lead market rose by +2.3% (1,752 people) from 2022 to 2023, in particular due to the strong increase in the core area of energy production and distribution (+6.7% compared to the previous year). This core area recorded significantly stronger growth than the federal government (+4.8 %) or the state of North Rhine-Westphalia (+4.1 %). The other core areas, water management and waste disposal and recycling, also recorded growth, albeit to a lesser extent. Employment in the core area of water management rose by +2.4%, while the core area of waste management and recycling increased by +1.6%. In contrast, there was a decline in neighboring services in the Ruhr metropolitan area: Trade and maintenance (-3.1%) and Laboratory, engineering and measurement services (-2.4%).

In 2022, the resource efficiency lead market not only achieved the highest sales figures in the Ruhr metropolitan area with sales of €123.81 billion, but also achieved a significant increase of +36.2% compared to the previous year. In particular, the core area of energy generation and distribution saw the highest increases in turnover (+44.3%; from €70.5 billion to €101.8 billion). The number of companies in the resource efficiency lead market also increased to 6,724, which corresponds to growth of 2.1%. The core areas of energy generation and distribution (+3.4%) and water management (+3.0%) in particular saw an increase in the number of companies. The proportion of employees in the resource efficiency lead market in relation to total employment is highest in Mülheim an der Ruhr (9.6%) and Oberhausen (7.8%).

The trend towards urban living has intensified as the demand for inner-city living space increases. Spatial planning laws have been adapted to reduce urban sprawl and promote inward settlement development. Sustainable construction plays a central role, with a focus on the sensible use of raw materials and the creation of high-quality living spaces. The future of construction lies in creative and intelligent solutions that meet ecological and economic requirements while preserving the charm of historic buildings.

Around 11.3% of employees in the Ruhr metropolis are assigned to the lead market of urban construction & living. In terms of the lead market's share of employment, construction-related services, including trade, rental and administration (45.7%) and the finishing trade (35.4%) are particularly relevant. Regional specializations are particularly evident in the cities of Oberhausen, Bottrop and Herne. In the period under review from 2022 to 2023, the number of employees fell by 4,088 (-1.9%) to 210,700. The losses in the Metropole Ruhr are thus significantly greater than in the national and state-wide comparison (-0.3% in each case). With the exception of the construction and finishing trades, all submarkets recorded employment losses.

By far the most companies were registered in the Construction & Housing lead market in 2022 (39,243 companies). Turnover was driven in particular by the submarkets "Neighboring services: Trade, rental, administration" (+10.6 %) and the finishing trade (+9.9 %). In contrast, stronger losses were recorded in the core area of furniture and home furnishings manufacturing (-18.9%). Despite the challenges in the lead market of urban construction & living, some companies were able to achieve strong sales in 2022 compared to the previous year.

In the Metropole Ruhr, 17.9% of employees work in the Industrial Core & Business Services. This share remained unchanged compared to the previous year. However, the number of employees subject to social security contributions rose by +0.5 % from 331,494 to 333,087. The trend in employees subject to social security contributions is more positive than the state average (NRW: -0.2 %), but more negative than the national trend (federal: +0.7 %). The increase in employees subject to social insurance contributions in the Industrial Core & Business Services lead market in the Ruhr Metropolis is due to the development of the business-related services submarket. In contrast to the submarkets of materials and substances as well as machinery and processes, which show a negative trend (-0.7% and -1.5% respectively), the share in the business-related services submarket increased by +1.6%. Regionally, the Ennepe-Ruhr district and the cities of Duisburg, Hagen and Mülheim an der Ruhr are clearly specialized compared to other Ruhr regions and the rest of Germany in terms of the share of employees in the overall economy.

With a total turnover of around 83 billion euros in 2022, the Industrial Core & Entrepreneurial Services lead market is the second-highest turnover lead market in the Ruhr metropolitan area after the Resource Efficiency lead market (approx. 123 billion euros). The majority of turnover is generated by less than 10% of the companies in the materials submarket. Turnover in the Industrial Core & Business Services lead market increased by +2.1% compared to the previous year, although the development in the individual submarkets must be viewed in a differentiated manner. While sales in the business-related services submarket rose by +2.8%, the materials and substances and machinery and processes submarkets recorded negative sales trends (-0.6% and -3.5% respectively).