Number of employed ophthalmic opticians in Germany 2012-2023

The Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) defines the employees that are subject to mandatory social security contributions as follows:
"Subject to mandatory social security contributions are all employees, who are subject to mandatory contributions for health insurance, pension insurance, nursing insurance and/or who are subject to contributions according to the Employment Promotion Act or for whom general contributions for the mandatory pension insurance or contributions after the Employment Protection Act have to be paid. These notably include apprentices, partial retirement employees, interns, working students and employees subject to social security contributions, who are summoned to perform compulsory services for the state (e.g. reserve duty training). Not subject to mandatory social security contributions are public officials, the self-employed, assisting family members, professional and regular soldiers as well as military and civil servants (see exemption above)." - as of February 2011.