Eurostat and Destatis say the rate is 3 % [https://www.destatis.de/EN/Themes/Labour/Labour-Market/Unemployment/_node.html](https://www.destatis.de/EN/Themes/Labour/Labour-Market/Unemployment/_node.html)

Agentur fur Arbeit says its 5.1% ,counting both the beneficiaries of ALG2 and ALG3 [https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de/DE/Navigation/Statistiken/Statistiken-nach-Regionen/Politische-Gebietsstruktur-Nav.html](https://statistik.arbeitsagentur.de/DE/Navigation/Statistiken/Statistiken-nach-Regionen/Politische-Gebietsstruktur-Nav.html)

i know the methodology is different,yet i dont get where we stand in international comparison

because if we are at 3% we are close to full employment,and should see massive wage growth

if we are at 5,1 % we still have an employment problem

**not here to defend a point, i am genuinely curious about the topic**

**so any comments or clarifications are more than welcome**

5 comments

  1. As you said, it’s a matter of methodolody. Mainly, a matter of whom you call “employed”, “employable”, “unemployed”, “underemployed” etc. And no, wage growth is not a mechanism that automatically kicks in at a certain percentage.

  2. The *Agentur für Arbeit* essentially counts job *seekers*, so e.g. stay-at-home moms (who are neither looking for a job, nor eligible for unemployment benefits), university students, etc. aren’t included.

    The *Destatis* press release you linked, in contrast, includes anyone who could theoretically take up a job, even if they aren’t currently looking for one, and have not applied for unemployment benefits (or wouldn’t be eligible if they applies).

  3. First of all, there is no ALG3.

    Regarding your question: Every country has its own method to calculate unemployment. The German method leads to the number published by the Arbeitsagentur.

    In order to make a meaningful international comparison, the International Labour Organization has developed a worldwide standard for calculating the unemployment rate. This is what Eurostat uses and Destatis.

    You can compare the German unemployment rate with other EU countries here: https://www.statista.com/statistics/268830/unemployment-rate-in-eu-countries/

    “Persons in employment and unemployed persons are counted according to the employment status concept of the International Labour Organization (ILO). Therefore, unemployment as shown here must not be confused with registered unemployment as published by the Federal Employment Agency in accordance with the German Social Code” https://www.destatis.de/EN/Press/2022/01/PE22_003_132.html

  5. The difference is, that the German Figures, from the Arbeitsamt, are also include, people which are between two jobs, are less unemployed than 12 months.

    Was the static for the outside says, it is the figure, the lower one: That people which are unemployment longer than a year. But also if the salary is so low, mostly under 10 hour a week working. But the people could work more, if they get a other job, so they can get financial help from the Arbeitsagentur. So also that this people work, but they work to less, so they are in Germany for the statistic also unemployment, because they get financial help, from the state!?

    Every country count unemployment different, for example the USA count, also when you only work 8 hour a week, as employment, also that mostly you cant live with only this job. But the statistis says, yippie, employed. So you just cant really compare the unemployment figures worldwild, only if you halfway understand how they get the figures.

    Some countries calculate the figures beautifuller, as they are.

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