The short-term development on the labour market continues to be favourable. As reported by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on the basis of first calculations for February 2008, the number of persons in employment whose place of residence was in Germany amounted to 39.63 million. That was an increase by 534,000 persons (+1.4%) on February last year. Compared with January 2008, the number of persons in employment rose by 62,000 (+0.2%) in February 2008.
 
The upturn on the labour market, which has continued since spring 2006, is based not only on marginal jobs but especially on a positive trend of jobs subject to social insurance contributions.
 
An increase in employment between January and February is usual at this time of the year. This year, the increase (+62,000 persons) was larger than in any year since February 2000.
 
In February 2008, the number of persons in employment in Germany amounted to 40.02 million after seasonal adjustment, that is after elimination of the typical seasonal variations. That was an increase by 62,000 (+0.2%) on January 2008.

Based on the labour force survey, Destatis determined a seasonally adjusted 3.26 million unemployed for January 2008. That figure, which is a provisional estimate, was calculated according to the concept of the International Labour Organization (ILO). Compared with the same month a year earlier (January 2007), the number of unemployed was down by 540,000 persons or 14.2%. The seasonally adjusted unemployment rate – which is harmonised across the EU and measured as the share of unemployed in the total labour force – amounted to 7.6% in Germany and was thus considerably below the level of the corresponding month of the previous year (8.8%).


For further information please contact: 
For „employment“:
Christoph-Martin Mai,
tel: (+49-611) 75-3378,
For „unemployment“:
Thomas Körner,
tel: (+49-611) 75-4413,
E-mail: arbeitsmarkt@destatis.de