Germany’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate held steady at 6.3% in January 2026, highlighting a sluggish and uneven recovery in Europe’s largest labor market. Labor Office head Andrea Nahles said the job market continues to lack economic momentum, with employment largely stagnating and hiring demand remaining subdued—signaling a fragile rebound after two years of economic contraction. External headwinds have added to the strain, with ongoing US tariffs weighing on exports and the broader industrial sector. The number of unemployed was unchanged at 2.98 million, defying expectations of a 4,000 increase. On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, unemployment rose by 176,600 to 3.08 million, marking its highest level in nearly 12 years. source: Bundesagentur für Arbeit

Unemployment Rate in Germany remained unchanged at 6.30 percent in January. Unemployment Rate in Germany averaged 6.03 percent from 1950 until 2026, reaching an all time high of 12.10 percent in March of 2005 and a record low of 0.40 percent in March of 1966. This page provides the latest reported value for - Germany Unemployment Rate - plus previous releases, historical high and low, short-term forecast and long-term prediction, economic calendar, survey consensus and news. Germany Unemployment Rate - data, historical chart, forecasts and calendar of releases - was last updated on February of 2026.

Unemployment Rate in Germany remained unchanged at 6.30 percent in January. Unemployment Rate in Germany is expected to be 6.30 percent by the end of this quarter, according to Trading Economics global macro models and analysts expectations. In the long-term, the Germany Unemployment Rate is projected to trend around 5.70 percent in 2027 and 5.40 percent in 2028, according to our econometric models.



Calendar GMT Reference Actual Previous Consensus TEForecast
2026-01-07 08:55 AM
Unemployment Rate
Dec 6.3% 6.3% 6.3% 6.3%
2026-01-30 08:55 AM
Unemployment Rate
Jan 6.3% 6.3% 6.3% 6.3%
2026-02-28 08:55 AM
Unemployment Rate
Feb 6.3%


Related Last Previous Unit Reference
Employed Persons 45909.00 46035.00 Thousand Dec 2025
Job Vacancies 619.35 623.93 Thousand Dec 2025
Job Vacancy Rate 2.40 2.50 percent Sep 2025
Minimum Wages 13.90 12.82 EUR/Hour Jan 2026
Population 83.58 83.46 Million Dec 2024
Unemployed Persons 2976.00 2976.00 Thousand Jan 2026
Unemployment Change 0.00 3.00 Thousand Jan 2026
Unemployment Rate 6.30 6.30 percent Jan 2026
Real Wage Growth 2.70 1.90 percent Sep 2025
Wages 4701.00 4479.00 EUR/Month Dec 2024
Youth Unemployment Rate 6.80 6.80 percent Dec 2025


Germany Unemployment Rate
In Germany, the unemployment rate measures the registered unemployed as a percentage of the civilian labor force. The registered Unemployed as defined in the statistics collected by the Federal Employment Office and based on the register of persons out of work are all those persons who have reached the age of 15 but not yet the age of 65 who have no job or only a part-time job (at present less than 15 hours a week) and are looking for a job subject to compulsory insurance with a working time of no less than 15 hours a week. They must have registered at the appropriate job center and must not be certified as unfit for work.
Actual Previous Highest Lowest Dates Unit Frequency
6.30 6.30 12.10 0.40 1950 - 2026 percent Monthly
SA

News Stream
Germany Unemployment Rate Steady at 6.3%
Germany’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate held steady at 6.3% in January 2026, highlighting a sluggish and uneven recovery in Europe’s largest labor market. Labor Office head Andrea Nahles said the job market continues to lack economic momentum, with employment largely stagnating and hiring demand remaining subdued—signaling a fragile rebound after two years of economic contraction. External headwinds have added to the strain, with ongoing US tariffs weighing on exports and the broader industrial sector. The number of unemployed was unchanged at 2.98 million, defying expectations of a 4,000 increase. On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, unemployment rose by 176,600 to 3.08 million, marking its highest level in nearly 12 years.
2026-01-30
Germany’s Unemployment Rate Stalls at 6.3%
Germany’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate held steady at 6.3% in December 2025, capping a year marked by a sluggish and uneven labor market recovery in Europe’s largest economy. Labor Office head Andrea Nahles said the job market continues to lack economic momentum, with weakness persisting into year-end. Employment has largely stagnated and hiring demand remains subdued, underscoring the fragile recovery following two years of economic contraction. Ongoing US tariffs have added further pressure on exports and the industrial sector. The number of unemployed rose modestly by 3,000 to 2.98 million, compared with expectations for a 5,000 increase. On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, unemployment climbed by 22,900 to 2.91 million, staying close to the decade high of just over 3 million reached in August.
2026-01-07
German Unemployment Stuck at Four-Year High
Germany’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate held at 6.3% in November 2025, matching its highest level since late 2020 and highlighting persistent labor-market fragility. Labor Office head Andrea Nahles noted that employment levels have stagnated and labor demand remains muted, reflecting a sluggish recovery after two years of economic contraction. Ongoing US tariffs have further pressured exports and the industrial sector. The number of unemployed edged up by 1,000 to 2.97 million, better than expectations for a 5,000 increase. On a non-adjusted basis, unemployment fell for a third straight month to 2.89 million, continuing to retreat after briefly rising above 3 million in August for the first time in a decade.
2025-11-28