Overview
- Federal labor agency data show 1,042,517 people unemployed for at least a year in November 2025, equal to 36.1% of all unemployed, with more than half out of work for over two years.
- About one third of long-term unemployed are foreign nationals, with sharp increases since 2014 and a near fivefold rise among people from asylum‑origin countries.
- December updates report typical month‑to‑month increases that differ by district, including slight rises or stagnation in areas such as Wesel, Duisburg and the Munich district, alongside year‑on‑year declines in parts of Ostholstein.
- Employers continue to report large vacancy stocks but fewer newly advertised roles, including 3,501 openings in Duisburg with 654 newly reported, 1,711 vacancies in Freising, and 10,423 in the Munich region, down 10.8% year on year.
- Local agencies flag continued labor market weakness into 2026, citing strain in industry and automotive suppliers alongside demand pockets in health, social services, logistics and information and communication in some regions.