According to preliminary calculations by the Federal Statistical Office, the number of employed people in December 2007 surpassed that of December 2006 by 596.000 people or 1.5%. As compared to November 2007, it fell by just 139.000 which is less than is usual the case due to seasonal factors. In December 2007 there were 40.15 million employed people in Germany.
Due to seasonal factors the number of employed people decreased in December 2007 in comparison to the previous month by 139.000. The decrease was significantly smaller than the average November/December decrease over the past five years (-178.000).
The Federal Statistical Office registered 3.35 million unemployed people as of December 2007. This figure is calculated according to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and is a provisional estimate. In comparison to December 2006 unemployment fell by 530.000 people or 13.6%. The harmonized unemployment figure at EU level which is adjusted for season amounted to 7.8% in December 2007 as compared to 9.0% one year earlier. 