It is seasonal that unemployment rises in the summer months. But the current increase is clearer. The Federal Employment Agency nevertheless sees the job market in solid shape.
The number of unemployed in Germany rose to 2.696 million in August. That was 79,000 more than in July and 148,000 more than a year ago. “The summer break and the weak economy are leaving their mark on the labor market,” said the head of the Federal Employment Agency (BA), Andrea Nahles, on Thursday in Nuremberg. “Nevertheless, he is still in a solid basic condition.”
The unemployment rate for August rose 0.1 percentage point to 5.8 percent. Compared to the same month last year, the rate rose by 0.2 points. In August, 771,000 job vacancies were registered with the BA, 116,000 fewer than a year ago.
It is not unusual for unemployment to rise in the summer months, as companies hire fewer people during the holiday season and, for example, new training contracts usually only begin in the autumn.
weak economy
According to the BA, the training market was still in motion in August. By the balance sheet date on September 30, the number of vacant training positions and applicants without a position would fall significantly.
A look at the seasonally adjusted figures shows that the number of unemployed increased by 18,000 compared to the previous month, even after eliminating seasonal effects. The BA reported that the increase in the previous months caused by the weak economy continued.
Source: Stern
