According to the Federal Employment Agency, the number of unemployed individuals in Germany rose by 36,000 in August 2026 compared to the same month last year. Furthermore, compared to the previous month, the figure increased by 54,000, reaching 3.061 million, the agency announced on Friday. When adjusted for seasonal variations, the number of unemployed rose by 4,000 people over the prior month, resulting in the unemployment rate climbing by 0.1 percentage points to 6.5 percent.
Andrea Nahles, the CEO of the Federal Employment Agency, noted in Nuremberg on Friday that, beyond typical seasonal fluctuations, the labor market in August showed little dynamism. She stated that this trend of moderate development has continued in recent months.
A broader measure known as “underemployment” accounts for not only unemployment but also labor market policies and short-term incapacity to work, providing a more comprehensive economic picture. Seasonally adjusted, underemployment decreased by 3,000 in August compared to the prior month. Despite this, the total stood at 3,674,000, which was 33,000 higher than the figure a year ago.
Employer demand for labor remains weak. In August, the Federal Employment Agency registered 656,000 vacancies, an increase of 25,000 compared to last year. The BA Job Index (BA-X), an indicator of demand for staff that considers both the volume of registered jobs and the access to them, remained unchanged at 103 points in August 2026. This figure was four points higher than the corresponding index from the previous year.
Based on the Federal Employment Agency’s projections, 1.133 million people received unemployment benefits in August 2026, which was 109,000 more than in the previous year. The estimated number of eligible individuals requiring basic social security reached 3.754 million in August. This marked a decline of 116,000 people compared to August 2025, meaning 6.9 percent of the population in working age in Germany required assistance.
