Unemployment figures exceed the three million mark for the first time in ten years

The Federal Employment Agency presented its figures in August: the number of unemployed rose by 46,000 compared to the previous month, exceeding the three million mark for the first time since 2015. However, BA chief Andrea Nahles points to the seasonally adjusted data, which shows a slight decline.

Despite economic uncertainties and rising unemployment figures, most employees in Germany are confident about their professional future. A recent IW study shows that 89 percent consider their job to be secure – an increase from 85 percent in the previous year. Only five percent fear both losing their job and having poor chances of finding new employment.

Skepticism is particularly noticeable in industry, where the proportion of pessimists is just under eight percent. It is striking that 53 percent of them consider technological developments to be a threat to their qualifications, while only 17 percent of optimists share this concern. The coexistence of rising unemployment and simultaneously stable high confidence in one's own employment illustrates the discrepancy between objective data and subjective perception.

We were also interested in these topics:

• Part-time employment reaches new high: In the second quarter of 2025, the part-time employment rate in Germany reached a historic high of 40.1 percent, while at the same time the number of full-time employees fell and the average weekly working hours of part-time employees, at 18.62 hours, were also higher than ever before. Experts attribute this development in particular to the strong growth of part-time-intensive sectors such as nursing and education – as a result, part-time work is now considered the norm.

• Germany is considered unfriendly: Despite its economic strength and environmental friendliness, Germany is not considered particularly open to labor migration. According to the Expat Insider survey, which records the subjective experiences of migrants, the country ranks only 42nd out of 46 as a desirable place to work. The main reasons for this are a weak welcoming culture, but also problems such as a lack of digital infrastructure, a shortage of housing, and a limited quality of life. On the other hand, the rating for employee rights and working hours is positive – here, Germany ranks among the top 25.

• Citizen's income recipients: Between November 2023 and November 2024, the number of citizen's income recipients increased significantly. Those particularly affected are so-called Aufstocker, who are dependent on state support despite being in employment – many of whom do not have German citizenship. What initially sounds like a socio-political problem is viewed positively by the information service of the Institute of German Business (iwd): The development shows that numerous foreigners have been successfully integrated into the labor market on a long-term basis through training and part-time jobs.

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