Economic dataFor generations coal and steel formed Oberhausen’s economic foundation. The crisis affecting the coal, iron and steel industry resulted in the loss of approx. 47,000 jobs in mining and production between 1962 and 1997.The heavy industry left Oberhausen completely with the closure of the Electric Steel Plant right next to CentrO in December 1997 and the decommissioning of the north pit of the former Osterfeld colliery a couple of weeks later.
Successful structural change
Once labelled the “cradle of the Ruhr industry”, Oberhausen today is a prime example for successful structural change. Unemployment has experienced an above-average decrease, particularly since the opening of CentrO. Thus, the unemployment trend has stopped, and owing to the significant rise in jobs in business and services, the number of employees with compulsory social security contributions has increased once again.About 2,000 modern jobs in the service sector, the majority of which evolved after 2000, have been created in the inner commercial ring around CentrO alone during the last few years.
Better-than-average development
Thanks to its dynamic economic development, Oberhausen has managed to break away from the trend affecting the region and posts above-average growth indicators. For example, the number of employees with compulsory social security contributions decreased by 2.4% from 1998 to 2004 in the Ruhr region and by 0.02% in North Rhine Westphalia, while Oberhausen reported a 1% increase, the best figure reported by all Ruhr region municipalities. The gross domestic product for each salaried employee increased by 8.6% from 1998 to 2003 in North Rhine Westphalia, while the GDP grew twice as much in Oberhausen (17.5%).
Statistics leader in hotel and restaurant industry
The annual figure for overnight stays in the hotel industry has developed extremely favourably compared to all large German cities. Prior to the opening of CentrO, Oberhausen posted only 66,000 overnight stays per year. Since then the figure has almost tripled to 186,000.
