German Unemployment Rises Below Expectations in December

The number of unemployed in Germany rose by 10,000 in December, less than the expected 15,000. The federal labour office reported a seasonally adjusted unemployment rate stable at 6.1%. Typically, December sees a rise due to the winter break, as explained by Andrea Nahles.

Germany saw a smaller-than-expected rise in unemployment figures for December, according to data from the federal labour office released on Friday. The number of people out of work increased by 10,000 on a seasonally adjusted basis, bringing the total to 2.87 million.

Analysts surveyed by Reuters had projected a larger increase of 15,000. Despite the rise in unemployment numbers, the seasonally adjusted rate of joblessness remained unchanged at 6.1%.

Labour office head Andrea Nahles attributed the increase to the usual winter break slowdown. She noted that this seasonal pattern typically leads to a rise in both unemployment and underemployment during December.

(With inputs from agencies.)