German companies continue to reduce jobs, albeit at a slower rate than in the previous month. The employment barometer of the Munich Ifo Institute rose to 93.9 points in April, from 92.8 points in March. “It is still too early to speak of a trend reversal on the labor market” said Klaus Wohlrabe, head of the Ifo surveys. “We see a strong increase in uncertainty, which could further worsen the situation.”
In particular, the barometer in the industry has increased, but jobs are still being cut. There is no industry sector where the number of employees is expected to increase. Among the service providers, positive and negative responses were balanced in April. IT service providers are still looking for new employees. Although the barometer in the retail sector has risen, there are signs of staff reduction. There is also a slight trend in the construction industry to operate with less staff.