German Unemployment Holds at Highest Since 2020

2026-04-30 08:06 By Kyrie Dichosa 1 min. read

Germany’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stood at 6.4% in April 2026, unchanged from the previous revised figure and above the expected 6.3%, holding at its highest level since July 2020.

The reading highlights the continued effects of three years of economic stagnation on Europe’s largest labour market.

According to the head of the Federal Employment Agency, there is still no sign of a turnaround in the labour market, with the usual spring rebound failing to materialise amid renewed economic headwinds linked to geopolitical tensions.

The number of unemployed persons rose by 20,000 from a month earlier to 3.006 million, reaching the highest level since March 2011 and exceeding expectations for a 4,000 increase.

Meanwhile, the underemployment rate, which includes unemployed individuals as well as those unable to work due to labour market programmes or short-term incapacity, edged down by 0.1 percentage point from the previous month to 7.7%.



News Stream
German Unemployment Holds at Highest Since 2020
Germany’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stood at 6.4% in April 2026, unchanged from the previous revised figure and above the expected 6.3%, holding at its highest level since July 2020. The reading highlights the continued effects of three years of economic stagnation on Europe’s largest labour market. According to the head of the Federal Employment Agency, there is still no sign of a turnaround in the labour market, with the usual spring rebound failing to materialise amid renewed economic headwinds linked to geopolitical tensions. The number of unemployed persons rose by 20,000 from a month earlier to 3.006 million, reaching the highest level since March 2011 and exceeding expectations for a 4,000 increase. Meanwhile, the underemployment rate, which includes unemployed individuals as well as those unable to work due to labour market programmes or short-term incapacity, edged down by 0.1 percentage point from the previous month to 7.7%.
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