Abstract
The long-term changes in the aggregate tasks (activities) of employees in the German automotive industry are analysed. The central question is whether the observed changes in activities occur within occupations or are driven by the reallocation of employees between occupations. International studies show that most of the aggregate changes occur within occupations. Our findings confirm these results for Germany. They also show that many occupations have the capacity to adapt and that the fear of joblessness due to technological change seems disproportionate.