Preliminary estimates from the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) show that in July 2026, approximately 45.48 million people residing in Germany were employed under the resident concept.
Seasonally adjusted figures indicate a slight decrease of 13,000 employed persons compared to the previous month. For the period from January to June 2026, the average monthly reduction stood at 19,000 individuals.
On a non-seasonal basis, the number of employed persons fell by 60,000 in July 2026 compared to June 2026, representing a 0.1 percent decrease. When compared to the July average across the years 2023 to 2025, the decline was 52,000 (-0.1 percent). The year-on-year comparison showed a sharper decline, with the number of employed persons dropping significantly by 223,000 (-0.5 percent). This confirms a continuing downward trend in the labor market observed since January 2025. Previously, in January through April 2026, the change relative to the prior year was -0.4 percent, while May and June 2026 saw a decline of -0.5 percent.
Regarding unemployment, the Labor Force Survey in July 2026 recorded 1.84 million unemployed people. This figure was 149,000, or 8.8 percent, higher than in July 2025. Consequently, the unemployment rate reached 4.2 percent, up from 3.9 percent in the previous year.
When seasonal and irregular effects are accounted for, the number of unemployed persons stood at 1.74 million in July 2026. This represented an increase of 11,000 people, or 0.6 percent, compared to June 2026. The seasonally and irregularly adjusted unemployment rate remained stable at 4.0 percent relative to the previous month, according to the Federal Office.
