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Chemnitz. The number of unemployed people in Saxony rose by a good 9,100 to around 141,200 in January compared to December. The unemployment rate rose by 0.5 points to 6.7 percent, according to the Federal Employment Agency in Chemnitz on Wednesday.
Compared to the same time last year, the number of unemployed rose by more than 10,300 and the rate by 0.5 points. The Federal Agency based its statistics on data available up to January 15.
SZ-Graphic: Gernot Grunwald
"Unemployment figures usually rise very sharply in January," said the regional directorate responsible, explaining the development. This is completely normal and can be attributed to seasonal reasons.
Unemployment in Germany continues to rise
The number of unemployed people across Germany rose to 2.805 million in the first month of the year, in line with the usual seasonal trend. This was 169,000 more than in December 2023 and 189,000 more than in January last year, the Federal Employment Agency announced in Nuremberg on Wednesday. The unemployment rate rose by 0.4 points to 6.4 percent. The Federal Employment Agency based its January statistics on data available up to the 15th of the month.
"The annual rise in unemployment at the turn of the year is lower this year. Employment and demand for labor are also stable, meaning that the labor market is stable at the start of the year despite the ongoing economic weakness," said the CEO of the Federal Employment Agency (BA)Andrea Nahles.
Nevertheless, the chances of the unemployed finding a new job are getting smaller. According to the Federal Employment Agency, 699,000 jobs were registered as vacant in January. That is 66,000 fewer than a year ago.
The situation on the training market remains difficult. Many apprenticeships offered by companies cannot be filled. According to the figures, there were 64,000 young people looking for training between October 2023 and January 2024, a good 1,000 more than in the previous year. This contrasted with 85,000 registered training places in companies, almost 4,000 more than in the previous year.
According to the BA, 28,000 applicants were still unplaced in January 2024 and a further 18,000 were still looking for a training position despite alternatives. At the same time, 18,000 training places were still unfilled. (dpa)
