About 45.41 million people residing in Germany were employed in August. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the total fell by 29,000 from July, equivalent to a monthly decrease of 0.1%.

The figures were reported by the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) on Wednesday, September 30. Before adjustment, employment dropped by 69,000 people, or 0.2%, compared with the previous month.

Employment was down by 235,000 people year on year, a decline of 0.5%. The data extend the annual downward trend visible in the German labour market since January 2025.

Separately, 1.86 million people were unemployed in August, 6.9% more than a year earlier. After seasonal and irregular effects were removed, unemployment stood at 1.76 million and the rate held at 4.0%, its highest level since June 2016.