| Consensus | Consensus Range | Actual | Previous | |
| Rate | 6.3% | 6.3% to 6.3% | 6.3% | 6.3% |
Highlights
The number of available jobs fell by 6,000 in March on a seasonally adjusted basis after rising by 28,000 the month before, while the unemployment rate held steady at 6.3 percent, matching the Econoday median forecast.
Registered unemployment fell to 3.021 million in from 3.070 million the month before, while it increased 1.8 percent from a year ago.
One mildly encouraging sign was the number of underemployed falling in March to 3.206 million, not adjusted for seasonal factors, from 3.250 the month before. This was enough to drop the underemployment rate to 7.0 percent from 7.1 percent in February.
Overall, the German labor market is in stasis, showing no sign of major improvement. With uncertainly resulting from higher energy costs due to the conflict in the Middle East, companies could be forced to reduce hours in the coming months by moving workers to short-shift arrangements.
Market Consensus Before Announcement
Rate seen stuck again at 6.3 percent in March.
Definition
The unemployment rate is calculated by the Federal Employment Agency based on the number of unemployed persons as a percentage of the number of all civilian members of the labour force (dependant civilian employed persons, the self-employed family workers and unemployed). Unemployed is defined as persons who between the ages of 15 and 65 and who are without employment or only with short-time employment (currently less than 15 hours per week) and seeking an employment of at least 15 hours per week subject to compulsory insurance.
Description
A snag to understanding German unemployment data comes from the fact that there are several measures of unemployment available. Unemployment rates calculated by the Bundesbank are preferred but some German analysts check the unadjusted rates as well. And then there are still different rates for unemployment that are used by Eurostat to compute their unemployment rate. The spread between the Bundesbank rates and Eurostat can be quite significant. The reason for the often sizeable differential is found in the interpretation of the ILO definition.
Unlike in the U.S. no wage data are included in this report. But by tracking the jobs data, investors can sense the degree of tightness in the job market. If labor markets are tight, investors will be alert to possible inflationary pressures that could exist. If wage inflation threatens, it's a good bet that interest rates will rise; bond and stock prices will fall. No doubt that the only investors in a good mood will be the ones who watched the employment report and adjusted their portfolios to anticipate these events. In contrast, when job growth is slow or negative, then interest rates are likely to decline - boosting up bond and stock prices in the process.