This morning the Federal Statistical Office officially confirmed the new unemployment figures announced on May 1st. According to experts, in March 2007 there were about 602.000 more gainfully employed people (+1.6%) than in the same month of 2006. At the same time the number of jobless people fell by 690.000 (-18.7%) in March 2007 as compared to March of the previous year. Compared to February this year the number of people without work fell by about 120.000 in March 2007.
In the opinion of statisticians the clear upwards trend on the labour market is going to continue. In the period from February to March 2007 the number of employed people rose by 150.000 (+0.4%). Expressed in seasonally adjusted figures there were 76.000 more employed people in March than February this year. Statisticians say that given the mild winter during which in weather-dependent sectors work did not have to stop, one could have expected the spring recovery to be less strong and therefore the current figures are all the more remarkable.
According to a monthly telephone survey carried out by the Federal Statistical Office the number of underemployed people in March 2007 fell by 0.3 percent as compared to March 2006. In March this year 12.7% of employed people said that they would work more hours if salaries were corrispondingly adjusted and that they would do so at short notice. 