According to preliminary figures released by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), approximately 45.61 million residents were employed in Germany in April 2026 (based on the domestic concept).
When adjusted for seasonal fluctuations, the total number of employed individuals showed almost no change compared to the previous month, decreasing only by 6,000 people (0.0 percent). However, looking at the raw data, employment saw an increase of 88,000 people (+0.2 percent) compared to March 2026. In the April average of the years 2023 through 2025, employment had climbed by 95,000 people month-on-month.
Despite the monthly increase, the comparison to the previous year showed a decline of 184,000 people (-0.4 percent). This continuation of a downward trend in year-on-year figures has been observable in the labor market since August 2025. To provide context, the rate of change against the same month in the prior year was -0.3 percent in both January and February 2026, and also -0.4 percent in March 2026.
Regarding unemployment, the labor force survey for April 2026 reported that 1.68 million people were jobless. This represented an increase of 21,000 people, or 1.2 percent, compared to April 2025. Consequently, the official unemployment rate rose to 3.9 percent, slightly above the 3.8 percent recorded in the previous year.
When accounting for seasonal and irregular effects, the actual number of unemployed individuals was 1.67 million in April 2026. This figure reflected a decrease of 13,000 people, or 0.8 percent, from March 2026. The adjusted unemployment rate, according to the Federal Office, remained stable at 3.8 percent.
