| Consensus | Consensus Range | Actual | Previous | Revised | |
| Rate | 6.3% | 6.3% to 6.4% | 6.4% | 6.3% | 6.4% |
Highlights
Germany's unemployment rate rose to steady at 6.4 percent in April, steady from a revised rise of 6.4 percent in March, beating consensus expectations by 0.1 percent for the month. The number of unemployed individuals slightly rose to 3.006 million in April, from 2.977 million the previous month. The latest April unemployment update indicates continued pressure on the labour market and a cautious hiring outlook among employers. Notably, job vacancies fell by minus 2,000, a slight upturn compared to the previous month's fall of 6,000 vacancies, suggesting that hiring demand is continues to fall but at a decreasing rate for the second month running.
The high unemployment rate of 6.4 percent continues to weaken household income and spending power. If these trends persist into the half year, they may signal structural issues in the labour market and necessitate targeted policy interventions. This latest update takes the RPI to minus 34 and the RPI-P to minus 52, indicating that economic activity continues to perform well behind market expectations for the German economy.
Market Consensus Before Announcement
More of the same expected with the jobless rate flat at 6.3 percent in April.
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.