For the unemployed in Saxony, the fall revival is off this year

George Moeritz

Dresden. The summer break on the labor market is over, but entrepreneurs and personnel managers remain cautious: in Saxony, not as many people are finding new jobs as usual at this time of year. The head of Saxony's employment agency, Klaus-Peter Hansen, said on Friday in Chemnitz that the "normal fall revival" had failed to materialize. Unemployment fell only slightly in September. This month, 7,764 unemployed people found a job and were able to deregister with Hansen's office. However, 8,025 people registered as unemployed who were previously employed in Saxony.

Hansen said that 139,271 people are now registered as unemployed in Saxony. The number did fall by 745 in September. However, a "normal fall recovery" along the lines of previous years would have meant three to four thousand. Compared to September last year, the number of unemployed in Saxony has risen by 7,595. A look at Hansen's tables shows that unemployment has risen among men in particular. It is also no longer possible to reduce the number of long-term unemployed: more than 50,000 people in Saxony are now without a paid job for more than a year.

Outlook: Slightly fewer unemployed in Saxony in the coming months

Hansen sees "no trend reversal" for the coming months. The chance of ending unemployment is decreasing. The risk of becoming unemployed is increasing. Nevertheless, the head of the employment agency is "cautiously optimistic": unemployment in Saxony will continue to fall slightly in the coming months. Skilled workers are still needed and the Saxon training market is also stable and "receptive". Saxon companies continue to show a high willingness to provide training. "There is long-term investment in young people," praised Hansen. This will help the economy in the coming years.

However, entrepreneurs should also consider older applicants when filling vacancies, said the head of the Saxon agency. More than 60,000 Saxons over the age of 55 are registered as unemployed, although they could still be useful for many years and could also pass on their knowledge. Three quarters of them have qualified training or a degree.

The unemployment rate in Saxony remains at 6.5 percent, in Germany as a whole at 6.0 percent. The differences within Saxony are often greater than between the federal states: 5.2 percent is reported in the Erzgebirge and the district of Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge. In contrast, the rate in the city of Chemnitz is 8.9 percent and in the district of Görlitz 8.7 percent. Unemployment fell slightly in September in the major cities of Dresden and Chemnitz, but rose in Leipzig.

New jobs: Growth in social and healthcare services, transport, administration

While many service sectors in Saxony continue to grow, jobs in industry and construction are disappearing. Hansen said that he continues to see growth in "services for people". Social and healthcare services together added 3,900 jobs in Saxony last year, while public administration, transport and warehousing also created additional jobs. In the manufacturing sector, i.e. industry and larger craft businesses, 5,400 jobs were lost, and 2,100 in construction.

Nevertheless, there are more than 34,000 vacancies on the computers of job centers and employment agencies in Saxony. "Those who are well qualified have good chances," emphasized Hansen. The number of people in employment in Saxony is still high: according to the latest extrapolation, 1.636 million people had a job with social security in Saxony in July. That was over 300,000 more than at the time of mass unemployment around 2005. In September alone, Saxon employers reported around 5,500 vacancies to the employment authorities. However, this figure was also higher in the previous year. The fact that unemployment is now falling is also due to the fact that the agencies launch more "projects and measures", i.e. training and further education, at this time of year.

Unemployment in Germany as a whole also fell in September. However, the head of the Federal Agency, Andrea Nahles, reported in Nuremberg that the decline was not as strong as usual at this time of year. The fall recovery was "only sluggish". 2.8 million people are registered as unemployed in Germany. According to the latest figures from July, the number of people in employment has risen - by 150,000 to 34.73 million within a year. The increase was solely due to foreign nationals, according to the Federal Agency.