Laid off in Germany: what happens to my pension contributions?

Your contributions stay in your German pension account; the layoff does not touch them. If you find a new job in Germany, they continue. Every month you worked, 9.3% of your gross salary went in as your employee share, which becomes claimable as a refund once you live outside the EU and 24 months have passed since your last mandatory contribution. Months on unemployment benefit (ALG I) count as mandatory contribution months: they push back the 24-month clock and count toward the 60-month threshold at which treaty-country citizens lose the refund. The free Pension Check tells you where you stand.