Unemployment Rate
UNEMPLOYMENT RATE
(percent of unemployed persons in the total labor force according to the
International Labour Organization (ILO) definition) (1)
| | | | | | | | |
Reference period | | Original percentages | | | Adjusted percentages (2) | |
June 2019 | | | 3.0 | | | | 3.0 | |
July 2019 | | | 3.1 | | | | 3.0 | |
August 2019 | | | 3.2 | | | | 3.0 | |
September 2019 | | | 3.0 | | | | 3.1 | |
October 2019 | | | 3.0 | | | | 3.1 | |
November 2019 | | | 3.1 | | | | 3.2 | |
December 2019 | | | 3.1 | | | | 3.3 | |
January 2020 | | | 3.3 | | | | 3.4 | |
February 2020 | | | 3.4 | | | | 3.6 | |
March 2020 | | | 3.8 | | | | 3.8 | |
April 2020 | | | 4.3 | | | | 3.9 | |
May 2020 | | | 4.4 | | | | 4.1 | |
June 2020 | | | 4.5 | | | | 4.2 | |
(1) | The time series on unemployment are based on the German Labour Force Survey. |
(2) | Trend cycle component (X-13-ARIMA method using JDemetra+; calculation by Eurostat). |
Compared to June 2019, the number of employed persons decreased in June 2020 by approximately 586,000 or 1.3%. Compared to May 2020, however, the number of employed persons in June 2020 decreased by only 1,000, or 0.0%, after adjustment for seasonal fluctuations, remaining nearly unchanged.
In June 2020, the number of unemployed persons increased by 653,000, or 49.2%, compared to June 2019. Adjusted for seasonal and irregular effects (trend cycle component), the number of unemployed persons in June 2020 stood at 1.86 million, representing an increase of 40.9% compared to June 2019.
The year-on-year decline in the number of employed persons has stabilized at 1.3%, the same as the year-on-year decrease of May 2019 compared to May 2020 (-1.3%). Compared to February 2020, the month before the COVID-19 pandemic broke out in Germany, the number of employed persons decreased in June 2020 by 655,000, or 1.4%, after seasonal adjustments.
It should be noted that according to the employment account and labour force survey concepts, workers in short-term employment arrangements (Kurzarbeit) are not counted as unemployed persons but as persons in employment.
Sources: Statistisches Bundesamt, June 2020: employment unchanged at previous month’s level after seasonal adjustment, press release of July 30, 2020 (https://www.destatis.de/EN/Press/2020/07/PE20_284_132.html); Statistisches Bundesamt, Genesis-Online Datenbank, Result 13231-0001, Unemployed persons, persons in employment, economically active population, unemployment rate: Germany, months, original and adjusted data (https://www-genesis.destatis.de/genesis/online?sequenz=tabelleErgebnis&selectionname=13231-0001&zeitscheiben=2&leerzeilen=false&language= en#abreadcrumb).
Current Account and Foreign Trade
CURRENT ACCOUNT AND FOREIGN TRADE
| | | | | | | | |
| | (balance in EUR billion) (1) | |
Item | | January – June 2020 | | | January – June 2019 | |
Trade in goods, including supplementary trade items | | | 83.2 | | | | 109.7 | |
Services | | | 2.4 | | | | -5.8 | |
Primary income | | | 41.8 | | | | 36.7 | |
Secondary income | | | -23.5 | | | | -22.9 | |
| | | | | | | | |
Current account | | | 103.9 | | | | 117.7 | |
| | | | | | | | |
(1) | Figures may not add up due to rounding. |
Source: Statistisches Bundesamt, Exports in June 2020: +14.9% on May 2020, press release of August 7, 2020 (https://www.destatis.de/EN/Press/2020/08/PE20_295_51.html).
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