Job market - The job market in Schleswig-Holstein remains strong.
In May, the spring revival led to a significant drop in unemployment in Schleswig-Holstein. The number of jobless people fell by 1,900, to around 89,500, according to data from the Regional Directorate of the Federal Employment Agency in Kiel. This reduced the unemployment rate by 0.2 percentage points to 5.5 percent. A year ago, it stood at 5.4 percent, with 3,800 fewer unemployed people. However, the employment agency only used data up to May 15th.
Thomas Letixerant, Deputy Head of the Regional Directorate, said, "Despite a challenging economic landscape, Schleswig-Holstein's labor market is holding its own." Since February, the number of registered unemployed has decreased from 95,500 to 89,500. Letixerant sees this trend as promising for job-seekers in the region.
The Regional Directorate revealed that all age groups have benefited from the increased demand for labor. "There's been a decrease in the number of unemployed under 25 or over 55, foreigners, long-term unemployed, and people with disabilities over the past few months," said Letixerant.
Despite this positive news, the employment agency noted that there were fewer job openings in May compared to the previous year. They recorded 25,700 vacant positions in the state - that's 1,700 fewer than in May last year. Overall, 24,100 jobs have been reported by companies since the start of 2021, with a decrease of 1,300 compared to the same period in 2020. The health and social sector, trade, service sector, and processing industry are currently searching for workers and skilled workers.
The State Labour Minister Claus Ruhe-Madsen (CDU) commented, "In touristically-oriented regions like Dithmarschen, North Frisia, and East Holstein, unemployment continued to decrease in May." Ruhe-Madsen expects increased demand for overnight stays and in the catering industry during the European Football Championship, which begins on June 14th.
Regarding the differences among districts, Stormarn had the lowest unemployment rate at 4.1 percent, while Dithmarschen had the highest at 5.7 percent. Within the free cities, the lowest rate was in Kiel (7.8 percent) and the highest was in Neumünster (8.5 percent).
