The unemployment rate among academics has risen for the third consecutive year, according to new figures from the German Federal Employment Agency (BA), reported by the business magazine “Capital”.
In 2022 the rate was 2.2 percent, it rose to 2.5 percent in 2023, 2.9 percent in 2024, and reached 3.3 percent in 2025. The highest rate was recorded in Berlin at 5.6 percent, while Baden‑Württemberg and Hesse posted the lowest figures, each at 2.6 percent.
The BA cited the strained economic situation as one of the reasons for the increasing unemployment among academics. “Having a university degree still offers strong protection against unemployment, but it does not provide comprehensive safety during crisis periods like these” said Martina Musati, regional director of the BA in Baden‑Württemberg.
Despite the rising rates, academics typically remain unemployed for shorter periods. In 2025, the average duration of unemployment for those with a university degree was 267 days. By comparison, those with professional qualifications averaged 491 days of unemployment, and people without occupational or academic qualifications averaged 557 days.
In total, Germany had 2,948,092 unemployed persons in 2025, reflecting an overall unemployment rate of 6.3 percent. Of those, 335,397 were university graduates.
