German Unemployment Up More Than Expected, Damping Rebound Hopes

  • Joblessness rises by 25,000; economists estimated 7,000 gain
  • Spring recovery hasn’t really taken off this year, Nahles says

Germany is recovering from an economic contraction at the end of 2023.

Photographer: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg
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German unemployment rose more than anticipated — underscoring expectations that Europe’s biggest economy will recover only gradually this year.

Joblessness rose by a seasonally adjusted 25,000 in May, while economists polled by Bloomberg had expected a gain of just 7,000. The unemployment rate held at 5.9%, the Federal Labor Agency said Tuesday.