Overview
- Unemployment fell by 70,000 in September to 2.955 million, taking the rate to 6.3%, yet the total remains 148,000 higher than a year ago.
- Seasonally adjusted joblessness rose by 14,000 and the BA jobs index held at 98, with the agency noting historically low chances of exiting unemployment.
- Employer demand weakened further, with 630,000 vacancies registered in September, down 66,000 from a year earlier.
- Short-time work stayed broadly stable, with 36,000 people newly reported for Kurzarbeit from September 1–24 and about 199,000 recipients in July on preliminary data.
- Regional reports cite youth entering apprenticeships or jobs as a key driver of the monthly dip, while southern states such as Bavaria and Baden‑Württemberg show larger year-on-year increases and areas like NRW post expected seasonal declines.