You can't guess first place easily

Hessen is home to some large employers. Surprisingly, airports, clinics and banks are not included in the list.

Wiesbaden – located in the heart of Germany Hess An attractive location for industrial companies. FrankfurtAs the center of the German financial world and the location of one of Europe's most important international airports, it deserves special mention. However, neither banks nor the airport are among the state's top five employers. The Hesse Ministry of Economy provides the answer to the question who are the largest employers in the state of Hesse.

Fifth place among the largest employers in the state of Hesse: Opel

The carmaker ranks fifth among the largest employers in the state of Hesse Opel taken. The company, known for its lightning bolt logo and models such as the Opel Kadett and Opel Astra, has been headquartered in Rüsselsheim am Main since it was founded by Adam Opel in 1862. Current data from the Hesse State Ministry of Economy shows that Opel currently employs 8,300 people in the state of Hesse.

Fourth place among the largest employers in the state of Hesse: Merck

Merck Group, one of the world's leading chemical and pharmaceutical companies, ranks fourth. The Merck name is everywhere in Darmstadt. SV Darmstadt 1898 is played at Merck Stadium, the company maintains its own symphony orchestra, and an indoor museum provides information about the company's nearly 350-year history. Merck, founded by Friedrich Jacob Merck in Darmstadt in 1668, is the world's oldest chemical pharmaceutical company and remains family-owned today. In March 2024, Merck employed 12,500 people in the state of Hesse.

Third place among the largest employers in Hessen: Continental

Continental AG is the third largest employer in the state of Hesse. Founded in 1871 and headquartered in Hanover, the company is a well-known tire manufacturer and automobile supplier. With 519 locations on six continents, Continental has supplied tires for everything wheeled throughout the company's more than 150-year history – from bicycles to pioneering aircraft to Formula 1 cars. In Hesse, the group has sites in Frankfurt and Papenhausen , Schwalbach and Wetzlar, but plans to close the locations in Schwalbach and Wetzlar by 2025. In March 2024, Continental had 13,000 employees working in the state of Hesse.

Second place among the largest employers in Hesse: Volkswagen

the Volkswagen AG, the world's largest automobile manufacturer, ranks second among the largest employers in the state of Hesse. The company was founded in Berlin in 1937 on the instructions of Adolf Hitler with the aim of developing a car, the Volkswagen, that would be affordable for the general population. To realize the project, a new city was created, the “KdF-Wagen near Fallsleben”, which is today's Wolfsburg in Lower Saxony. With the second largest Volkswagen plant in Germany in Kassel and the headquarters of Volkswagen Accessories GmbH in Dreieich, Volkswagen has two sites in the state of Hesse. In March 2024, 16,800 employees were employed here, making Volkswagen the largest private sector employer in the state of Hesse.

1st place among largest employers in Hesse: State of Hesse

However, the largest employer in the state of Hesse is neither a car manufacturer nor a large industrial company, but the state of Hesse itself, with about 150,000 employees in government, administration, education, culture, security and society, the state of Hesse being the largest. Employer in terms of number of employees. The founding of the state of Hesse dates back to 1228, when Elisabeth of Thuringia moved her residence to Marburg. The state of Hesse obtained its current constitution in 1945. (Paul Eisbach)