German labor market data shows a mixed picture in May 2025, with an increase in unemployment and a decline in job vacancies. According to the Federal Agency for Work, the number of job seekers rose by 197,000 year-on-year and by 12,000 compared to the previous month, to 2.919 million. The unemployment rate, seasonally adjusted, rose by 34,000, reaching 6.2 percent.
Agency Chief Andrea Nahles attributed the trend to a weak spring revival, stating that the labor market is not receiving the boost needed for a trend shift and thus expects a continued, albeit moderate, increase in unemployment numbers over the summer.
Meanwhile, underemployment, which includes unemployment, labor market policy and short-term work incapacity, decreased seasonally by 2,000 to 3.602 million, a 58,000 increase from the previous year.
The Federal Agency for Work reported 634,000 job openings, a 67,000 decrease from the previous year and a BA-X index of 95, indicating a decrease in the demand for labor in Germany. The number of recipients of unemployment benefits rose by 95,000 to 952,000, while the number of eligible recipients of the basic allowance for job seekers under the SGB II decreased by 66,000 to 3.948 million.
In vocational training, 375,000 applicants have registered, an 11,000 increase from the previous year, with 191,000 still unplaced as of May. The number of reported vocational training positions decreased by 28,000 to 441,000, leaving 229,000 unplaced positions.