Despite expectations to the contrary, December marked the sixth straight month of decline in unemployment numbers in Germany. The German Federal Labor Office announced today that 3.421 million were unemployed in December, approximately a 3,000 person drop from November - a significant number but not enough to bring down the reported overall rate of unemployment, which remained at 8.1%. The good news, especially after an increase of 10,000 unemployed was predicted for December, is welcome in Germany, but being treated warily by many economists and experts, who say that job loss may rise again later in the year, as layoffs catch up with the downturn in Europe's largest national economy.
See "Germany's joblessness falls, unexpectedly, for sixth month", William L. Watts, Market Watch, January 4, 2010