ZCZC
BCN-17
GERMAN-LABOR-MARKET
German labor market remains robust, unemployment continues to fall
BERLIN, Nov. 30, 2019 (BSS/Xinhua) – The number of unemployed German
citizens fell by 24,000 month-on-month in November to 2.18 million, the
Federal Employment Agency (BA) said on Friday.
“The current economic weakness is still noticeable on the labor market. All
in all, however, it remains robust,” said BA head Detlef Scheele.
The jobless rate in Germany remained at 4.8 percent in November. Compared
to last year, the rate also remained unchanged, according to the BA.
Although the unemployment figures fell slightly in November, short-term
indicators would “not indicate an all-clear,” Holger Schaefer, senior
economist for employment at the German Economic Institute (IW), told Xinhua.
According to the BA, demand for labor is still high but “continues to
decline.” In November, 736,000 vacancies were registered at the BA, 71,000
less than a year ago.
The number of Germans on unemployment benefits in November increased by
64,000 year-on-year to 730,000, the BA noted.
“Structural unemployment is currently developing positively, which can
compensate for the rise in cyclical unemployment,” Schaefer added.
BSS/XINHUA/HR/1500