Monthly unemployment rate in Germany 2023-2024

The unemployment rate represents the share of the civilian labour force that is unemployed; it is an indicator for the labor market and employment situation, as well as part of the unemployment statistics.
The Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) defines unemployment as follows: “The unemployed include all those who are temporarily not employed or work in a job for fewer than 15 hours per week, seek employment subject to social insurance contributions for at least 15 hours per week, and in the process are available for placement efforts undertaken by the employment agencies or institutions administering basic security benefits for job-seekers and have registered there as unemployed. According to this definition, not all employable people in need of assistance are to be counted as unemployed.” Therefore, a person is not automatically unemployed only because they do not work.