Headcount development

The Group’s headcount fell by 2.4 percent compared with the end of the prior year. Development across the segments was varied. The number of employees in our Germany operating segment declined by 3.4 percent as a result of efficiency enhancement measures and the take-up of socially responsible instruments in connection with the staff restructuring. The total number of employees in our United States operating segment increased by 0.9 percent as of December 31, 2019 compared with the prior year, primarily due to ongoing growth in our business. In our Europe operating segment, the headcount was down 7.4 percent compared with the end of the prior year. This was due in part to the sale of Telekom Albania. The headcount also decreased in Romania, Hungary, and Poland in particular. The number of employees in our Systems Solutions operating segment increased by 1.7 percent compared with the end of 2018, mainly due to the first-time inclusion and expansion of a service unit in India. The remaining headcount in this segment decreased by 3.5 percent on account of restructuring measures. In the Group Development operating segment, the 31.7 percent increase in the number of employees can be attributed to the inclusion of Tele2 Netherlands in the Netherlands. The headcount in the Group Headquarters & Group Services segment was down 6.3 percent compared with the end of 2018, mainly due to the ongoing staff restructuring at Vivento and the lower headcount in the Technology and Innovation unit.

Workforce statistics