Due to the heavy dependence to the coal and steel industries, it had been necessary to undertake a structural policy change in the region. As a result of that, Saarland’s economic policy has been focused in the 1960’s on the establishment of new industries. Nowadays the remains of the old heavy industry are a symbol for the success of the transition in Saarland, a phenomenon often referred to as the miracle of transformation at the Saar River “Ansiedlungswunder an der Saar” which reached its peak between 1968 and 1972. In the table above the structural change during the last thirty years can be seen.
In 1960, more than half of the working population in Saarland was working in the coal and steel industry (“Montanindustrie”).
In 2000, the number of employees working in the textile and automotive industries has exceeded the total number of employees from the traditional industries. In the pie chart below you can see that the percentage of employees working in the so called “old industries” has shrunk to a mere fifth of the total working population.