German unemployment rises above 3 million mark in July

The number of jobless people in Germany rose by 71,000 in July, soaring past the 3-million mark to reach 3.007 million, data from the Federal Employment Agency showed on Friday, dashing hopes of a stabilization in the job market.

This means 28,000 more people are without a job than in the same month last year.

The unemployment rate rose by 0.2 percentage points to 6.4% compared with the previous month.

Unemployment in Germany has been rising steadily for years. In June, 2.936 million people were registered as unemployed, 22,000 more than a year earlier.

A seasonal rise in unemployment is common in July. Last year, the number of unemployed rose by 65,000 in the same month.

The Federal Employment Agency recorded 653,000 vacancies in July, 25,000 more than a year earlier, but said overall hiring was weak.

Labour market researchers say the jobs market had until recently been supported by continued hiring across many sectors and overall employment growth, despite rising unemployment. That buffer has now eroded.

"Unemployment has been rising for four years, but for a long time there was still a positive employment outlook," said Enzo Weber, a researcher at the Institute for Employment Research (IAB). "Given the economic crisis and demographic shrinkage, that is no longer enough."

Economist Virginia Sondergeld of the jobs platform Indeed said: "The German jobs market today stands only marginally above its pre-pandemic level and continues to lose momentum." She cited, among other factors, the energy price shock triggered by the war in the Middle East.

According to preliminary estimates, 1.108 million people received unemployment benefits in July, up 107,000 from a year earlier. 

On the apprenticeship market, 418,000 applicants had registered with employment agencies and job centres by July, 4,000 more than a year earlier. Some 126,000 had already secured a training place. Employers had registered 437,000 apprenticeship vacancies, down 35,000 from July 2025.