Overview

• Registered unemployment fell to 2.955 million in September, down 70,000 from August, with the rate at 6.3% (-0.1 points month on month, +0.3 points year on year).
• BA chief Andrea Nahles said the decline reflects seasonal factors rather than a strengthening in labour‑market fundamentals.
• Employer demand eased further, with about 630,000 vacancies reported in September, 66,000 fewer than a year earlier.
• Destatis reported August employment roughly unchanged at about 45.8 million, while its ILO-based measure showed 1.79 million unemployed in August (unadjusted 4.0%, seasonally adjusted 3.7%), up year on year.
• Short-time work remained broadly stable, with 36,000 new notifications from September 1–24 and roughly 199,000 recipients in July, as regional data showed uneven conditions such as a 21,600 drop in NRW.