More than 3 million unemployed in Germany

About 3.1 million unemployed in Germany want a job opportunity, as the Federal Statistical Office announced at its headquarters in Wiesbaden that these people between the ages of 15 and 74 aren’t available to the labor market for various reasons.

The office referred to them as hidden reserves, explaining that they make up about 17% of the total unemployed in Germany.

According to the office’s data, some of them are not available for work at the present time, because they have to take care of relatives, for example, or because they aren’t actively looking for work at all, because they believe that they won’t be able to find a suitable job.

According to a micro-survey analysis, the bureau classifies about 1.4 million people within these two groups, an increase of 500,000 individuals, compared to 2019.

The office attributed this increase in part to the consequences of the Covid pandemic, as well as to a change in the survey method, according to one of the office’s experts.

The office indicated that there is also a third group of people who are particularly far from the labor market – they aren’t looking for a job opportunity or aren’t available for work – but they expressed a general desire to work during the survey.

These constitute about 1.8 million people, and they weren’t previously included in the list of hidden reserves in Germany.

This comes at a time when a spokesman for the German service sector workers union Verdi confirmed the start of a strike at Dusseldorf Airport, Germany.

A union spokesman said half of all flights at the airport had already been canceled, along with delays in flights.

Airport spokesman Marcus Schaff said 101 flights – about a third of all flights – had been cancelled, he added.

However, the situation at the airport is calm and comfortable, given that airlines have informed their passengers in advance about offers of cancellation and replacement”.

Dusseldorf Airport is the largest in the most populous state of North Rhine-Westphalia in Germany, and the third largest airport in Germany in terms of the number of passengers.

The strike comes against the backdrop of a new contract for handling services, which ViaPartner didn’t win.

According to Verdi, 700 jobs are now at risk.

The company is now rejecting a welfare plan with severance pay for workers at risk of losing their jobs.

Germany’s service sector union Verdi has also called for a second day of strikes, as part of the current wage dispute with the German postal service Deutsche Post.

According to Verdi, employees of selected companies will be involved in the parcel and letter service centers, as well as in the delivery of parcels and letters.

The union said that about 6,000 workers took part in the strike, while 30,000 took part in strikes that took place nationwide last week in letter and parcel centers from Thursday evening to Saturday.

Given the high rate of inflation in Germany, the union is demanding a 15% wage increase for Deutsche Post employees, with a collective agreement lasting 12 months.

The union is also calling for an increase in training allowances by 200 Euros ($218) per month for each year of training.

Collective negotiation will continue until February 8th and 9th.

On the other hand, German Economy Minister Robert Habeck will travel to Sweden next week for a two-day visit.

The visit comes on the occasion of the Scandinavian country taking over the presidency of the Council of the European Union from the Czech Republic at the beginning of this year for a period of six months.

According to the German Economy Ministry, Habeck will hold talks with a number of representatives of the Swedish government next Thursday, including Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Ebba Bush.

Habek also plans to hold talks with Climate Affairs Minister Romina Pourmokhtari about emissions trading and the EU’s 55% decent climate package.

European Union countries plan to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 55% by 2030 compared to 1990.