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Employment agency in Berlin
Photo: Christian Ender / Getty Images
The number of unemployed in Germany rose to 2.805 million in January. That is 169,000 more than in December 2023 and 189,000 more than in January last year, the Federal Employment Agency announced. The unemployment rate rose by 0.4 points to 6.4 percent. Taking seasonal effects into account, the number of unemployed fell by 2,000 month-on-month, according to the BA.
The authorities assessed the numbers as saying that the increase was normal for this time of year. “Employment and demand for labor are also consistent, so that the labor market is stable at the beginning of the year despite the ongoing economic weakness,” explained BA boss Andrea Nahles.
For its January statistics, the Federal Agency used data that was available up to the 15th of the month.
Difficult situation on the training market
The development confirms the recent trend: it is becoming more difficult to find a job. According to the Federal Agency, 699,000 jobs were reported as open in January. That's 66,000 fewer than a year ago.
The situation on the training market remains difficult. Many apprenticeships offered by companies cannot be filled. According to the information, in the so-called post-placement period from October 2023 to January 2024, there were 64,000 more young people looking for training than in the previous year. This compares to 85,000 registered training positions in companies, almost 4,000 more than in the previous year.
According to the BA, 28,000 applicants were still unavailable in January 2024 and a further 18,000 were still looking for a training position despite an alternative. At the same time, 18,000 training positions were still unfilled.
mmq/dpa/Reuters