Hamburg’s unemployment figure rose to 97,264 in January, the most jobless people in the city for a January since 2006, when the number was 101,878. Compared with the previous month, the jump was 4,683 jobs, or 5.1 %. Relative to January 2025, the increase was 4,132 people, or 4.4 %. Consequently the city’s unemployment rate climbed to 8.6 %.
Even as the unemployment count climbs, Hamburg still records a record‑high level of employment. In November 2025, 1,097,400 residents were working in social‑security‑covered positions-a record tally. Nationally, however, employment growth is negative. The Employment Agency attributes the rise in unemployment to the challenging economic climate, population growth, and the attractiveness of Hamburg’s labour market for both regional and overseas job seekers.
Unemployment climbed most sharply among three groups: people under 25 rose by 17.3 %, academics by 9.9 %, and long‑term jobless individuals by 9.4 %. Conversely, almost 5,000 Hamburg residents who had previously been unemployed secured jobs in January, a 14 % increase from the previous year. The number of reported job vacancies fell to 14,077, a 14.3 % decline year‑on‑year.