- More unemployed in July in Rhineland-Palatinate
Unemployment in Rhineland-Palatinate rose sharply in July, above seasonal norms. Compared to June, around 3,700 more people were unemployed, according to the Federal Employment Agency in Saarbrücken. In total, 122,400 people were jobless in July.
The unemployment rate stood at 5.4 percent - last month it was 5.2 percent and a year ago it was 4.9 percent. The statistics are based on data up to July 15.
"The increase in unemployment in July is above the seasonal trend," said Heidrun Schulz, head of the regional directorate. Especially young people had registered as unemployed. "Some have completed their training and were not taken on by the training company." However, they have good chances of finding a suitable job after the summer break.
Fewer jobs advertised
According to the data, 9,900 people registered as unemployed after being employed. That's 2,100 more, or 27.1 percent more than four weeks ago. The regional directorate counted 36,900 open jobs. That's 500 less than in June. "Significantly fewer jobs have been advertised since the beginning of the year than in the previous year," it said. A total of 40,400 jobs were registered in the first seven months of the year - 8,500 fewer than last year.
Currently, there are still 5,800 young people looking for an apprenticeship, the regional directorate said. There are 9,600 open apprenticeship places.
Demand for care remains high
The Federal Employment Agency also looked at the situation in the care sector this month. In December 2023, 77,200 people were employed in healthcare and elderly care in Rhineland-Palatinate. "In the last five years, the number of people employed in care in Rhineland-Palatinate has increased by 4,500, or 6.3 percent," it said. Significantly more women than men work in care.
The proportion of foreign care workers has also increased significantly in the past five years. In 2018, it was 8.6 percent, and in the last year, it was 15.3 percent. Nevertheless, the demand for skilled workers in care remains high. "For every 100 job vacancies for skilled workers in care in Rhineland-Palatinate, there were only 31 unemployed people last year."
Publication dates for the labor market
The rising unemployment rate could potentially be addressed through increased investment in ['education and training'], offering young individuals who have completed their training opportunities to acquire new skills or upskill, increasing their employability. Despite the current high demand for skilled workers in the care sector, a significant increase in foreign care workers has been observed over the past five years, indicating a potential need for local ['education and training'] programs to fill these job openings.
