German unemployment falls to 2.955 million in October but rises 44,000 year on year

Federal jobless figures

The Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit, BA) reported on Friday, 30 October, that 2.955 million people were registered as unemployed in Germany in October. That is 40,000 fewer than in September, but the decline was weaker than the usual autumn fall. Adjusted for seasonal effects, the number rose by 4,000. Compared with October 2025, there are 44,000 more people without work. The unemployment rate dropped by 0.1 percentage points to 6.3%. Underemployment, which also counts people in labour market programmes and short-term sickness, stood at 3.592 million, down 34,000 on September.

Andrea Nahles, the agency's chief executive, said the economic conditions were still too weak for the labour market to improve.

“The economic conditions are still not sufficient for an improvement in the labour market.”

The agency's written report went further, saying the chances for unemployed people to find work remain historically poor.

vs September (unadjusted)-40,000

vs September (seasonally adjusted)4,000

vs October 202544,000

vs September (unadjusted)

-40000 people

vs September (seasonally adjusted)

4000 people

vs October 2025

44000 people

Data from the article text

Bavaria posts its highest October count in two decades

The regional directorate in Nuremberg counted 316,431 unemployed people in Bavaria in October, 14,413 fewer than in September but 8,722 more than a year earlier. The rate stood at 4.0%, down 0.2 percentage points on the month. The reference date for the statistics was 13 October. Markus Schmitz, head of the directorate, said the figure was the highest for an October in two decades, and that the monthly decline is normal for the season.

“Young people in particular are currently finding it hard to take up employment.”

Schmitz also urged continued support in the search for training places and later qualifications, saying a vocational qualification remains the best protection against unemployment.

Regional gaps and the groups hit hardest

Bremen has the highest rate of any state at 11.0%, down from 11.4% a year earlier, followed by Berlin at 10.4% and Saxony-Anhalt at 7.9%. Bavaria has the lowest at 4.0%, ahead of Baden-Württemberg at 4.6%. Within Bavaria, Swabia, the Upper Palatinate and Lower Bavaria share the lowest rate at 3.7%, while Middle Franconia is highest at 4.7%. The regional directorate sees above-average rises among severely disabled people, over-55s and the long-term unemployed, which it attributes to weak demand and industrial transformation.

Bremen11%

Berlin10.4%

Saxony-Anhalt7.9%

Baden-Württemberg4.6%

Bavaria4%

Bremen

11 %

Berlin

10.4 %

Saxony-Anhalt

7.9 %

Baden-Württemberg

4.6 %

Bavaria

4 %

Data from the article text

Bertram Brossardt, main managing director of the Bavarian employers' association vbw, said the monthly fall was mainly seasonal and that structural location problems persist and weigh heavily on companies. The DGB union federation in Bavaria, led by Bernhard Stiedl, called for more purchasing power to achieve a lasting turnaround.

“When people have good and secure work and their incomes rise reliably, that also strengthens consumption and economic development.”

Jobs, benefits and training

Employers reported 654,000 open positions in October, 31,000 more than a year earlier. The number receiving unemployment insurance benefit (Arbeitslosengeld) reached 1.065 million, 88,000 more than a year ago, while the number of employable people in basic income support, formerly called Bürgergeld, fell by 172,000 to 3.559 million. The agency stressed that basic-support recipients are not automatically without work, since many top up low earnings to reach the subsistence level.

Between October 2025 and September 2026, 469,000 training places were reported to employment agencies and job centres, 453,000 of them in companies and 31,000 fewer than the year before. They faced 447,000 applicants. In Bavaria, newly reported vacancies rose in manufacturing and construction: just over 30,000 in manufacturing since the start of the year, 15% more than the same period a year earlier, and about 10,000 in construction, almost 13% more.