Munich, 28 November 2025 — The trade publication MM Logistik has published the Pactos study “Temporary staffing fills the gaps in peak season”. The analysis shows that in the run-up to Christmas, the number of people employed through temporary staffing rises by around 50,000. In economically stronger years, the increase exceeded 80,000 additional workers. The seasonal rise is a recurring pattern and shows the structural role of temporary staffing for the German economy, especially in logistics, retail and manufacturing.
As the year draws to a close, the economy reaches its most intense phase: warehouses fill up, supply chains run at full stretch, retail demand climbs. During this time, temporary workers keep processes running that are business-critical for many companies.
Data basis and method
The figures come from the German Staffing Association (GVP), which has reported temporary staffing employment since 1999 based on the monthly statistics of the Federal Employment Agency. Pactos analyzed the time series: the Kruskal-Wallis test was used to identify statistically relevant differences by month, seasonality indices were built for presentation, and 2024 was compared against rolling three- and ten-year averages. To account for the structural decline of the industry, the seasonal surplus was additionally set in relation to total employment at year end.
The result: from September onward, the seasonality index rises above the annual average, and employment peaks in October. The additional employment from September to November 2024 adds up to more than 50,000 people, or 8.8 percent of the industry's workforce at year end. Over the past ten years, this share has consistently ranged between 7.9 and 10.2 percent. The pattern is therefore not an artifact of business cycles but structurally anchored.
„Behind these numbers are people who step in at short notice, take on responsibility and thereby secure employment. Temporary staffing provides stability when companies have to respond quickly to change.“
Results and recommendations
For companies, the study recommends actively structuring the peak season from August onward: firmly scheduling quotas, aligning profiles and shifts with staffing providers, and defining onboarding standards. Short assignments for peaks and longer assignments for sustained load reduce costs and stabilize performance; metrics such as service level, utilization and overtime rate serve as steering instruments. At the same time, temporary staffing acts as a bridge into regular employment: those who use this function build a robust talent funnel.
For policymakers, temporary staffing is a precise early indicator because its employment figures respond early and sensitively to economic impulses. Around eight out of ten people who move from unemployment into temporary staffing are in employment subject to social insurance a year later. The study argues for reliable framework conditions instead of ad hoc interventions, pragmatic documentation requirements and data-based monitoring standards. The full study was published by MM Logistik .