The extra day in a leap year is usually a bonus for employers. However, public holidays and weekends are particularly favourable for employees this year. The German economy, which is threatened by recession, will not experience any economic tailwind from the additional working day on 29 February as a result of the leap year.
According to the Federal Statistical Office, there is an average of 248.8 working days nationwide despite the leap year - that is 0.6 days less than in the previous year. This decrease is due to the postponement of public holidays, festive days such as Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve and weekends compared to 2023.
In the first quarter, there were even 1.6 fewer working days on average across Germany than in the previous year, mainly due to the early Easter holidays. This development also dampens gross domestic product (GDP) in the first quarter, as the number of working days has a direct impact on economic output. The rule of thumb is that an additional working day leads to an average increase in GDP of around 0.1 percentage points. However, other factors can influence the actual effect.