German unemployment rate climbs to 5.7% in January; over 2.62 mn jobless

The number of jobless people in Europe's largest economy rose by 162,000 month-on-month to just under 2.62 million in January

Germany
IANS Berlin
2 min read Last Updated : Feb 01 2023 | 7:20 AM IST

Germany's labour market continues to show little signs of weakening amid the energy crisis. As is typical for this time of the year, the country's unemployment rate climbed slightly to 5.7 per cent in January, the Federal Employment Agency (BA) said.

The number of jobless people in Europe's largest economy rose by 162,000 month-on-month to just under 2.62 million in January. The figure was 154,000 higher than a year ago, according to the BA on Tuesday.

The labour market remained "stable," BA chief Andrea Nahles said in a statement.

"However, the effects of geopolitical and economic uncertainties continue to be evident."

Last year, Germany's total workforce grew to a new record high of 45.6 million employees, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), the immigration of foreign workers and the increased participation of domestic population "more than offset" demographic change on the country's labour market.

Despite this development, labour shortage in Germany has been increasing for years.

In mid-2022, the country's economy lacked more than half a million skilled workers on an annual average, according to the German Economic Institute (IW). Particularly in sales, daycare centres, social work and hospitals, the shortage is to increase even further.

To attract more workers from abroad, the German government decided to lower income thresholds for the Blue Card required for foreign nationals to work in the country.

Asylum procedures have also been accelerated and a so-called opportunity card for people with high potential is to be introduced.

--IANS

int/khz/

 

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Quarterly Starter

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

Save 46%

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Access to Exclusive Premium Stories Online

  • Over 30 behind the paywall stories daily, handpicked by our editors for subscribers

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

Topics :GermanyunemploymentEurope

First Published: Feb 01 2023 | 7:20 AM IST

Next Story