German Joblessness Poised for a Bump as Refugees Search for Work

  • Refugee influx could be feeding through to employment figures
  • People from asylum countries saw higher March joblessness
Photographer: Christof Stache/AFP via Getty Images
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Germany’s unemployment may be headed for a jump even as the economy keeps expanding.

While the labor market for native Germans has rarely been stronger, the recent influx of asylum-seekers into Europe’s largest economy could push up the jobless rate in the near term. Many of the newcomers -- a potentially vital supplement to the nation’s aging and shrinking workforce if successfully integrated -- currently lack the skills employers need.