Overview
- The Federal Employment Agency’s indicator of monthly exits from unemployment is about 5.7 versus roughly 7 in normal times, the lowest level reported by the agency.
- Official November data show 2.885 million people unemployed and a 6.1 percent jobless rate as the labor market has shown little movement for months.
- The cabinet has approved replacing Bürgergeld with a stricter basic security that restores a placement priority, a plan that still requires Bundestag approval and is slated to start on July 1, 2026.
- Nahles highlights particularly weak prospects for entrants, noting the fewest vocational placements in 25 years, and says no worker group is fully insulated from layoffs even if the well educated retain better chances.
- Researchers report a steep drop in vacancies, including roughly 19 percent fewer openings in Q3 2025 year over year, intensifying mismatches that the BA says require targeted upskilling and cross-sector cooperation, with some forecasts suggesting unemployment could exceed three million in early 2026.