Overview
- The Federal Employment Agency’s internal job‑finding indicator has fallen to 5.7, its lowest reading on record after typically hovering around 7.
- Nahles says no group is insulated from job loss, with young entrants hit hardest and apprenticeship placements at a 25‑year low.
- Vacancy levels remain weak, with IAB estimates showing Q3 2025 openings down about 19% year on year and roughly 288 unemployed per 100 open jobs.
- The cabinet has backed a Bürgergeld overhaul reinstating a placement priority and tougher sanctions, but it still needs Bundestag approval before a planned July 1, 2026 start.
- Nahles warns that rushing placements without matching skills leads to quick returns to job centers and calls for more qualification support and regional mobility.