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Abstract

The high unemployment figures illustrate the structural problems of the German economy and the effects of globalization in the years following unification. Job losses were particularly severe in the East, as they coincided with the restructuring of unprofitable industries. The remarkable recovery of the German economy since 2005 is reflected in lower unemployment figures, but the differences between East and West remain.

Unemployment and the East-West Divide (2017)

Source

Labor market

Registered unemployed, unemployment rate by state of residence

Year

Germany

Former federal territory2

New federal states
including Berlin

Number of unemployed

Unemployment
rate1
%

Number of unemployed

Unemployment
rate1
%

Number of unemployed

Unemployment
rate1
%

2017

2 532 837

6,3

1 894 294

5,8

638 543

8,4

2016

2 690 975

6,8

1 978 672

6,2

712 303

9,4

2015

2 794 664

7,1

2 020 503

6,4

774 162

10,3

2014

2 898 388

7,5

2 074 553

6,7

823 835

11,0

2013

2 950 338

7,7

2 080 342

6,7

869 995

11,6

2012

2 897 126

7,6

1 999 918

6,6

897 209

11,9

2011

2 976 488

7,9

2 026 545

6,7

949 943

12,6

2010

3 238 965

8,6

2 227 473

7,4

1 011 492

13,4

2009

3 414 992

9,1

2 314 215

7,8

1 100 777

14,5

2008

3 258 954

8,7

2 138 778

7,2

1 120 175

14,6

2007

3 760 586

10,1

2 475 528

8,3

1 285 058

16,7

2006

4 487 305

12,0

3 007 158

10,2

1 480 146

19,2

2005

4 860 909

13,0

3 246 755

11,0

1 614 154

20,6

2004

4 381 281

11,7

2 782 759

9,4

1 598 522

20,1

2003

4 376 795

11,6

2 753 181

9,3

1 623 614

20,1

2002

4 061 345

10,8

2 498 392

8,5

1 562 953

19,2

2001

3 852 564

10,3

2 320 500

8,0

1 532 064

18,8

2000

3 889 695

10,7

2 380 987

8,4

1 508 707

18,5

1999

4 100 499

11,7

2 604 720

9,6

1 495 779

18,7

1998

4 280 630

12,3

2 751 535

10,3

1 529 095

19,2

1997

4 384 456

12,7

2 870 021

10,8

1 514 435

19,1

1996

3 965 064

11,5

2 646 442

9,9

1 318 622

16,6

1995

3 611 921

10,4

2 427 083

9,1

1 184 838

14,8

1994

3 698 057

10,6

2 426 276

9,0

1 271 781

15,7

1993

3 419 141

9,8

2 149 465

8,0

1 269 676

15,4

1992

2 978 570

8,5

1 699 273

6,4

1 279 297

14,4

1991

2 602 203

7,3

1 596 457

6,2

1 005 745

10,2

1990

--

--

1 883 147

7,2

--

--

1 Unemployment rate of all dependent civilian labor force.
2 Until 1990 former federal territory and West Berlin, from 1991 former federal territory excluding Berlin. 1950 to 1958 without Saarland.

Source: Statistisches Bundesamt. Registrierte Arbeitslose, Arbeitslosenquote nach Gebietsstand, https://www.destatis.de/DE/ZahlenFakten/Indikatoren/LangeReihen/Arbeitsmarkt/lrarb003.html

Translation: GHI staff