Overview
- Registered unemployment fell to about 2.95 million in May, a decline of 58,000 from April but still roughly 31,000 higher than in May 2025.
- Official employment data for April show 45.61 million people employed, a 0.4 percent drop year on year, which signals the broader labour force remains weaker than a year earlier.
- The number of jobs reported to the Federal Employment Agency stood near 643,000 in May, about 8,000 more than a year ago but described by officials as a low, stabilised level of demand.
- Labour market frictions persist with roughly 157 identified shortage occupations in care, skilled trades, transport and similar fields, while social‑insurance employment fell and more people drew unemployment insurance.
- Regional reports show most May declines were seasonal but outcomes vary widely by state, prompting government moves to boost training and upskill workers with multibillion‑euro investments to ease the mismatch.