Germany’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate held steady at 6.4% in October 2026, matching market expectations and remaining at its highest level since 2020. The number of unemployed rose by 4,000 to 3.016 million, a smaller increase than anticipated, and the highest figure since March 2011.
On a non-seasonally adjusted basis, unemployment declined by 40,000 to 2.955 million, down from 2.994 million in September, staying below the 3 million mark for the second consecutive month. Labor Office head Andrea Nahles stated that “the economic conditions are still not sufficient for an improvement in the labor market,” underscoring the persistent weakness in employment dynamics.
At the same time, the number of job vacancies registered with the Federal Employment Agency stood at 654,000 in October, an increase of 31,000 compared with the same month a year earlier.
