German jobless rate slips to 4.9% in September
by The Associated Press
The economy contracted slightly in the April-June period and is considered likely to shrink again in the current quarter,
BERLIN—Germany’s unemployment rate slid to 4.9% in September, helped by a traditional uppick in hiring after the summer vacation.
The Federal Labor Agency said Monday that the unadjusted jobless rate—the headline figure in Germany—declined from 5.1% in August. Some 2.234 million people were registered as unemployed, 85,000 fewer than the previous month and 22,000 fewer than a year earlier.
In seasonally adjusted terms, the unemployment rate was static at 5% for the fifth consecutive month.
Germany, Europe’s biggest economy, has seen gloom over its outlook increase over recent months.
The economy contracted slightly in the April-June period and is considered likely to shrink again in the current quarter, which would put it in a technical recession.
