German jobless rate steady in June

Unemployment in Germany held steady in June, official data showed Monday, after the measure rose off historic lows for the first time in almost six years the previous month. At 5.0 percent, the jobless rate was the same as in May, when it rose 0.1 percentage points from April, figures from the BA federal labour agency showed.

The measure’s steady level was in line with forecasts from analysts surveyed by Factset. In absolute terms, the number out of work fell by 20,000 people, to just over 2.2 million.

“Weaker economic development has left slight traces on the labour market,” BA chief Detlef Scheele said in a statement.

“The number of open positions has fallen back, while remaining at a high level, and employment growth is losing momentum.”