The number of unemployed in Germany fell to 2.544 million in May. That was 42,000 fewer than in April, but 284,000 more than a year ago, as the Federal Employment Agency announced on Wednesday. The rate fell by 0.2 points to 5.5 percent in May. “Despite the weak economy, the job market as a whole is stable,” said Daniel Terzenbach, head of the Federal Employment Agency. “Employment growth continues, but is losing momentum.”
Unemployment and underemployment – where people are recorded in measures such as integration courses – have fallen, but less than usual for May. A look at the seasonally adjusted figures also shows this: As a result, the number of unemployed increased by 9,000 in May. Even without the refugees from Ukraine, unemployment would have risen compared to the same month last year, albeit less sharply. For the statistics, the Federal Agency took into account figures that were available up to May 11th. Unemployment usually falls in the spring because companies are looking for more workers again after the winter. However, the spring revival depends, among other things, on the economic situation and the weather – and therefore varies from year to year.
Short-time work has increased slightly: from May 1 to 24, companies reported short-time work for 45,000 employees. Experience has shown that the number of people who actually go on short-time work is lower. Up-to-date data on how many people took advantage of short-time work benefits is available up to March: 133,000 employees in that month, after 140,000 in February.