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bjourneyesterday at 7:14 PM3 repliesview on HN

Do you know of any major German industry for which energy costs amounts to even 10% of the labor costs? It's a rhetorical question intended to engage the common sense pathways of your cognitive system.


Replies

moooo99yesterday at 7:30 PM

Realistically, without running the numbers, only few industries come to mind that may come close. Chemical manufacturing, steel production and maybe glass production as well.

For the remainder, the wage costs - more specifically - the overhead costs are the true killer. If you want to pay someone 80k a year in Germany, the actual costs are closer to 100k a year in purely salary overhead costs, not to mention the other bureaucratic overhead in Germany

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WarmWashyesterday at 7:51 PM

Considering Germany wiffed on the tech boom, and still relies on the same industry as 50 years ago, I'm not sure if you are gesturing that 10% is way too small or way to large. Their three largest exports are all very energy intensive (cars, machinery, chemicals).

throw-qqqqqyesterday at 9:38 PM

What is your point?

There are thousands of such companies in Germany, called Energy-Intensive Industries.

Think chemicals, mining, materials, paper pulp, glass, ceramics etc.

Stats available here: https://www.destatis.de/DE/Themen/Branchen-Unternehmen/Indus... (unfortunately only available in German)