Unemployment in Germany falls below the three million mark in September

The number of unemployed people in Germany fell back below the three million mark in September at 2.994 million. Compared to August, this is a decrease of 67,000 people, but compared to September 2025, an increase of 40,000, as the Federal Employment Agency in Nuremberg announced. The unemployment rate fell by 0.1 points to 6.4 percent compared to August. However, compared to September 2025, it is 0.1 points higher.

“The autumn recovery on the labor market begins in September,” said the CEO of the Federal Employment Agency, Andrea Nahles. “However, the start is lackluster,” she added. “The economic improvement is not yet being reflected in the labor market.”

The demand for workers in Germany remains weak for the time being. The Federal Agency reported 660,000 job vacancies in September. That's 30,000 more than a year ago.

Underemployment, which, in addition to pure unemployment, also takes into account instruments of labor market policy and short-term incapacity for work, fell by 7,000 in seasonally adjusted terms in September. At 3.615 million, it was only 25,000 higher than in the same month last year.

1.082 million people received unemployment benefits from unemployment insurance in September, 85,000 more than a year ago. The number of employable recipients of basic security amounted to 3.704 million in September. This is 145,000 fewer than in the same month last year.

The highest regional unemployment in Germany is in the state of Bremen with a rate of 11.2 percent, followed by Berlin at 10.4 percent. The southern states of Bavaria (4.2 percent) and Baden-Württemberg (4.7 percent) continue to have the lowest rates. According to the Federal Agency, two eastern German states, Thuringia and Brandenburg (6.3 percent each), are also below the national average.