Employment figures in Germany showed a slight decrease in August 2025, according to preliminary data released by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis). Approximately 45.8 million people residing in Germany were employed during the month.
Seasonally adjusted employment experienced a minor decline of 8,000 individuals, representing a 0.0 percent decrease compared to July 2025, when a marginal rise of 4,000 people had been observed.
Unadjusted figures reveal a more substantial decrease of 33,000 individuals, equating to a 0.1 percent drop in employment between July and August 2025. This pattern aligns with the historically negative August trend seen in 2023 and 2024.
Year-on-year, the number of employed individuals remained virtually unchanged in August 2025, showing a slight increase of 3,000 people (0.0 percent) compared to August 2024. This marks the fourth consecutive month where employment levels have been consistent with those of the previous year (May to July 2025 also registering 0.0 percent).
The labor force survey indicated 1.79 million individuals were unemployed in August 2025. This represents a significant increase of 146,000 people, or an 8.9 percent rise, compared to August 2024. Consequently, the unemployment rate increased to 4.0 percent, a 0.3 percentage point rise compared to the 3.7 percent recorded in August 2024.
Adjusting for seasonal and irregular effects, the number of unemployed individuals in August 2025 was slightly higher than in July 2025, reaching 1.66 million, an increase of 3,000 people (0.2 percent). The adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged at 3.7 percent compared to the previous month, according to Destatis.
