Germany news: Unemployment tops 3 million as industry slumps
07/31/2026 July 31, 2026 Unemployment tops three million Germany's Federal Employment Agency (BA) released its July unemployment numbers on Friday, showing an increase in joblessness
07/31/2026 July 31, 2026 Unemployment tops three million Germany's Federal Employment Agency (BA) released its July unemployment numbers on Friday, showing an increase in joblessness. July's numbers jumped 71,000 over June, and 28,000 compared to July 2025. "Unemployment and underemployment tend to jump significantly in July due to seasonal factors," said AB board member Daniel Terzenbach in Nuremberg.
"Overall, this is a continuation of the weak labor market trends seen in recent months." The seasonal dip has to do with the fact that apprenticeships tend to end in summer, leaving young people temporarily unemployed. Businesses also tend to postpone hiring until after the summer break. Total unemployment now stands at 6.4% (up 0.2% from June), with some 3,007 million in Germany without work — the first time unemployment has pushed past three million since April.
Demand for workers was also lower in July according to the BA, which registered 653,000 job openings, though that is 25,000 more than at the same time in 2025. The number of people drawing unemployment checks also increased by 107,000 to 1.108 million; and statistics put the number of able-bodied welfare recipients at 3.775 million, down 121,000 compared to July 2025.
Not all of those receiving welfare were unemployed, with some working to reach minimum subsistence levels. Employment agencies however also registered an increase in the number of people looking to enter apprenticeships — 418,000, up 4,000 from July 2025.
The BriefWire