Germany had about 45.60 million employed residents in September 2026, according to preliminary calculations. On a seasonally adjusted basis, the total edged down by 4,000 from August, a change of 0.0% when rounded. The Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) reported the figures on Friday, October 30.

The unadjusted count rose by 172,000, or 0.4%, as the customary autumn pickup began. That increase was almost identical to the average September gain of 170,000 recorded between 2023 and 2025.

Employment was 211,000 lower than in September 2025, representing a year-on-year decline of 0.5%. The result extended the annual downward trend visible in the labour market since January 2025.

Separately, an average of 45.67 million people worked in Germany during the third quarter, with seasonally adjusted employment down 57,000, or 0.1%, from the previous quarter. The adjusted unemployment rate stood at 4.1% in September, unchanged from August.