Unemployment in Germany – Biggest rise in five years in May

German unemployment posted its strongest monthly rise in over five years in May, but the Labour Office said mild winter weather was largely to blame for the unexpectedly weak figures.

The number of people out of work increased by 24,000 to 2.905 million on a seasonally-adjusted basis, data showed on Wednesday. It was the largest rise since April 2009, when Germany was in the midst of its deepest post-war recession due to the global financial crisis. 

The mid-range forecast in a Reuters poll had been for a drop of 15,000.

Because of the mild winter, the Labour Office said employers – presumably in weather-sensitive sectors like construction – had not reduced headcount at the usual rate in the early months of the year. Therefore, the traditional spring bounceback in hiring failed to materialise.

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor. Read the whole story at German jobless rise biggest in five years, mild winter blamed | Reuters.

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