The unemployment rate in Germany has fallen to a new all-time low in January, as the number of jobseekers fell more than expected, according to data published yesterday by the Federal Labor Office in Berlin. The official figures show that the unemployment rate in Germany fell to 6.2% last month, down from 6.3% in December.
According to seasonally adjusted data, the number of people looking for a job fell with 20,000 last month, to 2.73 million. Analysts were expecting an 8,000 drop, meaning an unemployment rate of 6.3%.
"The good evolution on the labor market has continued in the beginning of the year", said the president of the Federal Labor Office, Frank-Juergen Weise.
It bears mentioning that the unemployment rate in the Eurozone fell to 10.4% in December, from 10.5% in November, the data published by Eurostat yesterday. This is the lowest level since October 2011 so far. Analysts were expecting an unemployment rate of 10.5% in December, in the monetary union.
According to Eurostat, approximately 16.75 million people were unemployed in December in the Eurozone, 49,000 fewer than in October.
In the European Union, the unemployment rate stayed at 9% in December.