German unemployment down again in May

Germany’s unemployment rate fell in May for the fourth month running.

The labour minister welcomed that, but complained the country is suffering from a lack of skilled workers.

The jobless figures dropped to seven percent of the workforce from 7.3 percent in April – that is adjusted for seasonal factors like weather and changes in the calendar.

The unemployment rate is now at the lowest level since 1990 when east and west Germany were reunified.

With Europe’s biggest economy undergoing an export- and investment-driven boom, German labour minister Ursula von der Leyen said there is a shortage of workers in some areas:

“In general, the German labour market is in excellent shape. Now we need to consolidate this high level and built on it for the future.

But she added: “We have one million high skilled jobs that businesses and companies have more and more trouble filling. That is worrisome.”

European Union figures released at the same time showed that across the 17 countries of the euro zone, unemployment was unchanged in April at 9.9 percent for the third month running.

Copyright © 2013 euronews