Non-financial performance indicators

Employees

Decrease in number of employees

Our employees, working in over 220 countries and territories, represent the success of Deutsche Post DHL. As at 31 December 2009, we employed 424,686 full-time equivalents, 5.9% fewer than in the previous year. The decrease was primarily due to our restructuring activities in the wake of the recession and resulted in a decline in staff costs of 7.4% to €17,021 million (previous year: €18,389 million).

A.55 Number of employees (continuing operations)
	2008	2009	+/– %
At year-end
Headcount1)	512,536	477,280	–6.9
Full-time equivalents2)	451,515	424,686	–5.9
of which MAIL	142,674	143,042	0.3
EXPRESS	108,275	96,520	–10.9
GLOBAL FORWARDING, FREIGHT	41,499	38,859	–6.4
SUPPLY CHAIN	143,786	132,367	–7.9
Corporate Center/Other	15,281	13,898	–9.0
of which Germany	167,816	166,880	–0.6
Europe (excluding Germany)	136,649	120,074	–12.1
Americas	78,212	66,833	–14.5
Asia Pacific	55,182	57,897	4.9
Other regions	13,656	13,002	–4.8
Average for the year
Headcount	511,292	488,518	–4.5
of which hourly workers and salaried employees	456,149	435,072	–4.6
Civil servants	51,304	49,691	–3.1
Trainees	3,839	3,755	–2.2
Full-time equivalents	456,716	436,651	–4.4

In the MAIL division, the number of employees grew by 0.3% to 143,042. The increase was due to our employing additional temporary workers in order to reduce overtime amongst our core staff and the associated costs. Civil servants seconded to public authorities are now also included in the figure. These two factors more than offset the decrease that resulted from additional productivity increases and the reorganisation of our retail outlet network.

Compared with the previous year, the number of employees in the EXPRESS division fell by 10.9% to 96,520. This was primarily related to the restructuring of our US business. In addition, we were forced to reduce the number of employees as a consequence of the recession, particularly in Europe. In Asia, new employees joined the Group as a result of an acquisition in China.