13 – Personnel Expenses and Employees Personnel expenses The BASF Group’s expenses for wages and salaries, social security contributions and pensions and assistance in 2019 totaled €10,924 million (2018: €10,659 million). In 2019, this amount included personnel expenses from the disposal group for the construction chemicals business and proportionally for the oil and gas business in the amount of €557 million. By contrast, the amount in 2018 included personnel expenses from the disposal group for the oil and gas business in the amount of €276 million. The increase in personnel expenses was due primarily to higher expenses for the long-term incentive program, a higher level of wages and salaries and the higher average number of employees resulting from the acquisition of significant businesses from Bayer. Offsetting factors were the merger of the oil and gas businesses of Wintershall and DEA in the joint venture Wintershall Dea, as well as the decrease in expenses for pension benefits due to plan curtailments. (XLS:) XLS Personnel expenses (Million €) 2019 2018 Wages and salaries 8,825 8,470 Social security contributions and assistance expenses 1,545 1,459 Pension expenses 554 730 Personnel expenses 10,924 10,659 Number of employees As of December 31, 2019, the number of employees decreased to 117,628 employees compared with 122,404 employees as of December 31, 2018. This number includes 6,964 employees in the disposal group for the construction chemicals business as of December 31, 2019 (December 31, 2018: 2,017 employees in the disposal group for the oil and gas business). Of material significance to the decrease in the number of employees were the merger of the oil and gas businesses of Wintershall and DEA in the joint venture Wintershall Dea, as well as the sale of the paper and water chemicals business. As a result, the number of employees decreased by more than 3,000 employees. The number of employees in the BASF Group was distributed over the regions as follows: (XLS:) XLS Number of employees as of December 31 2019 2018 Europe 72,153 75,188 of which Germany 54,028 55,839 North America 19,355 20,069 Asia Pacific 18,634 19,303 South America, Africa, Middle East 7,486 7,844 BASF Group 117,628 122,404 of which apprentices and trainees 3,161 3,174 temporary staff 2,606 3,226 Employees from joint operations are included in the number of employees as of the year-end relative to BASF’s share in the company. These had a total of 96 employees (2018: 526 employees). Of material significance to the decrease in the number of employees in joint operations was the merger of the oil and gas businesses of Wintershall and DEA in the joint venture, Wintershall Dea. The average number of employees was distributed over the regions as follows: (XLS:) XLS Average number of employees 2019 2018 Europe 73,126 73,067 of which Germany 54,722 54,749 North America 19,624 19,051 Asia Pacific 18,843 18,713 South America, Africa, Middle East 7,607 7,540 BASF Group 119,200 118,371 of which apprentices and trainees 2,811 2,819 temporary staff 2,922 3,120 Employees from joint operations are included in the average number of employees relative to BASF’s share in the company. On average, these had a total of 206 employees (2018: 492 employees). BASF Group’s average number of employees for 2019 includes 6,801 employees from the disposal group for the construction chemicals business and for 2018 2,021 employees from the disposal group for the oil and gas business. back next