BERLIN, Jan. 30 (Xinhua) -- Germany had its highest number of unemployed in 12 years in January, with the total climbing above 3 million, official data showed Friday, as the labor market remained under pressure from a weak economy.
Unemployment surged to 3.085 million, a level last seen in February 2014, according to the Federal Employment Agency (BA). The jobless total rose by 177,000 from the previous month, pushing the unemployment rate up 0.4 percentage point to 6.6 percent.
"There is currently very little momentum in the labor market," BA head Andrea Nahles said, noting that unemployment rises sharply at the start of the year for seasonal reasons and had once again crossed the 3-million mark.
The number of unemployed people had last exceeded 3 million in August 2025. Prior to that, joblessness had remained under the mark for more than a decade.
BA figures also showed that jobseekers were finding it harder to secure new employment. The number of registered job vacancies stood at 598,000 in January, marking a decrease of 34,000 compared to the previous year.
Data from the ifo Institute underscored the weakness, pointing to persistent strain in the labor market. According to its January employment barometer, German companies across almost all sectors are still cutting jobs, with pressure particularly acute in industry, where automakers and metal producers are planning further headcount reductions.
The prolonged economic weakness has weighed down the labor market in Europe's largest economy. After contracting for two consecutive years, the economy grew by just 0.2 percent in 2025. The average unemployment rate for 2025 stood at 6.3 percent, marking the third straight annual increase, the data showed. ■
