Qualification-specific unemployment quotas
Abstract
"In 2016, unemployment in Germany sank for the third year in succession. The overall quota according to qualifications amounted to 6.2 per cent and is thus the lowest figure since reunification. As the estimation of this quota rests on a different data base, it differs from the official quota very slightly.<br> At the same time, the risk of unemployment is closely dependent upon qualifications. The lower the qualification, the more difficult one's position on the labour market. Persons without a professional qualification are especially affected by unemployment. Countrywide, in 2016 close to every fifth person in this group was without work. In comparison to the year before, however, this quota had dropped by a good one per cent.<br> ?The perspectives of academics in the overall German labour market remain very good. Unemployment is at a low level (2.3%). The employment situation of persons with a vocational training has also improved. Their unemployment quota equals 4.2 per cent at the present time, 0.4 of a percentage point less than in the year 2015.<br> ??There are clear differences in the unemployment rates between the eastern and western parts of Germany, but the east has continued to decrease the extent to which is lags behind. In the eastern part of Germany, the overall rate is 8.1 per cent (previous year 9.0 %), in the western part, 5.7 per cent (previous year 6.0 %).<br> Those with vocational qualifications have above all profited from the positive labour market situation in both the east and the west. While the unemployment rate of the vocationally qualified in the west amounted to 3.6 per cent, at 6.5 per cent the unemployment rate was still clearly higher in the east despite a renewed drop of one percentage point.<br> The unemployment quota for those with university qualifications in the west was 2.1 per cent, as in the year before. In the east, the quota has continued to drop and is now low at 3.3 per cent. On the other hand, the quota for low-skilled workers in both parts of the country remains high. While the quota has dropped in both the east and west, in the east it is still 29 per cent and in the west roughly 18 per cent." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku)
Cite article
Röttger, C., Weber, B. & Weber, E. (2017): Qualifikationsspezifische Arbeitslosenquoten. (Institut für Arbeitsmarkt- und Berufsforschung. Aktuelle Daten und Indikatoren), Nürnberg, 6 p.