German unemployment surges to 6.6%, passing 3 million

The number of unemployed people in Germany topped 3 million in January, official figures showed on Friday, as the jobless rate rose to 6.6%.

The Federal Employment Agency Germany has registered 3.085 million unemployed, up 177,000 from the previous month and 92,000 from January 2025.

The figure is the highest seen in the month of January since 2014, while the number of unemployed last topped 3 million in August for the first time in more than 10 years.

Compared to December, the unemployment rate in Germany jumped by 0.4 percentage points to 6.6%.

“There is currently little momentum in the labour market,” said Andrea Nahles, chairwoman of the Nuremberg-based agency. “At the beginning of the year, unemployment rose significantly for seasonal reasons, exceeding the 3 million mark once again.”

The number of vacancies registered with employment agencies fell to 598,000, or 34,000 fewer than one year ago.

In January, 1.142 million people in Germany received unemployment benefit, which is paid out for up to two years after a person loses their job.

Meanwhile, 3.826 million people received the citizen’s benefit, a type of welfare payment, including some employed people who supplement their income with social assistance in order to survive.

In January, 64,000 young people were registered with employment agencies as seeking an apprenticeship.