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German Press Agency dpa
Chemnitz. The number of unemployed people in Saxony fell by around 1,100 to around 138,500 in November compared to October. The unemployment rate thus remains at 6.5 percent, according to the Regional Directorate of the Federal Employment Agency in Chemnitz. A year ago, the rate was 6.1 percent.
A total of 25,700 people registered as unemployed with an employment agency or job center in the reporting month of November 2024. At the same time, 26,800 people ended their unemployment. The employment agency based its statistics on data available up to November 13.
The head of the regional directorate, Klaus-Peter Hansen, called the slight decline pleasing. "This fall in unemployment is due to our investment in people's qualifications and sickness absence and less to the economic situation," he said. The uncertain economic situation and economic risks continued to have an impact on the labor market.
Skilled workers with good job prospects
In November, over a thousand more people became unemployed from employment than were able to register for work. "Nevertheless, I would like to encourage people: Skilled workers in particular have comparatively good job opportunities," said Hansen.
Of the almost 32,700 vacancies registered with the employment agencies, 61 percent (19,800) are for trained specialists, 12 percent for specialists such as master craftsmen or technicians (4,000) and ten percent for experts with an academic degree (3,300). Most vacancies are immediate (94%), permanent (94%) and full-time (87%).
Falling unemployment in almost all districts
The number of unemployed fell in almost all districts and cities compared to October. The sharpest fall was in Dresden (minus 1.9 percent) and in the districts of Meißen (minus 1.7 percent) and Bautzen (minus 1.7 percent). In contrast, there was a slight increase in the district of North Saxony (plus 0.4 percent) and in Görlitz (plus 0.3 percent).
As in October, the Erzgebirgskreis and Sächsische Schweiz-Osterzgebirge had the lowest unemployment rates at 5.1 percent. There was also no change in Chemnitz, which came last with 9.0 percent.
DGB: No all-clear on the labor market
According to a press release, Markus Schlimbach, District Chairman of the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB) in Saxony, sees no reason to sound the all-clear in the figures. He called for a clear signal to secure the economy and jobs in Saxony: "Investments must now be made in qualifications and further training so that vacancies can be filled quickly and people can get back to work." The planned cuts to the budget of the Federal Employment Agency would be poison in view of the current uncertainty.
More craft trainees in eastern Saxony
There is a positive signal from the training market in the skilled crafts companies in eastern Saxony. By the end of November, more than 2,100 young people had started a dual apprenticeship there, according to the Dresden Chamber of Crafts. Compared to the previous year, this represents a slight increase of around 3.2 percent.
The difficult economic environment is not leaving the skilled trades sector unscathed, said Managing Director Andreas Brzezinski according to the press release. "Nevertheless, companies want to secure the skilled workers of tomorrow by training them in their own companies." Around 540 vacancies are currently still registered on the Chamber of Skilled Crafts' apprenticeship exchange.
