German unemployment rises less than expected in December

(Sharecast News) - Germany's labour market showed continued signs of stagnation at the end of 2025, with unemployment rising modestly in December but less than economists had anticipated, according to official data released on Wednesday. The number of unemployed people in Germany increased by 3,000 in seasonally adjusted terms during December, below the 5,000 rise forecast by analysts and following a smaller 1,000 increase in the previous month.

Despite the uptick, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate remained unchanged at 6.3%, in line with market expectations.

Officials said the figures underlined the lack of momentum in Europe's largest economy as the year drew to a close.

Labour office head Andrea Nahles said the job market was still struggling to gain traction, noting that the weak underlying trend persisted through the end of the year.

Reporting by Josh White for Sharecast.com.