27. Personnel Expenses and Employees
Personnel expenses
Expenses for wages and salaries, social security contributions and assistance, as well as for pensions totaled €10,950 million in 2023. In the previous year, these amounted to €11,400 million. The decline was mainly due to the lower additions of bonus provisions, currency effects, particularly from the U.S. dollar and the Argentine peso, as well as lower pension expenses. A higher wage and salary level as well as a higher average number of employees had an offsetting effect.
|
2023 |
2022 |
|---|---|---|
Wages and salaries |
8,773 |
9,102 |
Social security contributions and assistance expenses |
1,612 |
1,598 |
Pension expenses |
565 |
701 |
Personnel expenses |
10,950 |
11,400 |
Number of employees
As of December 31, 2023, the number of employees increased to 111,991 employees compared with 111,481 employees as of December 31, 2022. The rise was primarily due to staff increases in Asia Pacific, especially for the new Verbund site in Zhanjiang, China. This was partially offset by retirements and departures due to dormant employment as well as measures in connection with the cost savings program focusing on Europe.
Employees of joint operations are included in the number of employees relative to BASF’s share in the company. As of December 31, 2023, a total of 1,210 employees worked at joint operations (December 31, 2022: 1,196 employees).
The development of the number of employees in the BASF Group was distributed over the regions as follows:
|
2023 |
2022 |
|---|---|---|
Europe |
67,562 |
67,958 |
of which Germany |
51,406 |
51,703 |
North America |
16,060 |
16,036 |
Asia Pacific |
21,193 |
20,452 |
South America, Africa, Middle East |
7,176 |
7,035 |
BASF Group |
111,991 |
111,481 |
of which apprentices and trainees |
3,045 |
3,049 |
temporary staff |
2,305 |
2,468 |
The average number of employees was distributed over the regions as follows:
|
2023 |
2022 |
|---|---|---|
Europe |
67,617 |
67,621 |
of which Germany |
51,369 |
51,174 |
North America |
16,077 |
16,452 |
Asia Pacific |
20,822 |
20,036 |
South America, Africa, Middle East |
7,075 |
6,914 |
BASF Group |
111,590 |
111,023 |
of which apprentices and trainees |
2,715 |
2,711 |
temporary staff |
2,452 |
2,642 |
The average number of employees increased to 111,590 employees in 2023 (2022: 111,023 employees).
The reasons for the development of the number of employees as described above are also decisive to the rise in average number of employees. Moreover, the divestiture of the kaolin minerals business as of September 30, 2022, and the suspension of business activities in Russia in the previous year had an offsetting impact.
On average, 1,202 employees worked at joint operations (2022: 1,188 employees).