German unemployment shows fall

German unemployment fell by a larger-than-expected 75,000 on the month in February.

German unemployment fell by a larger-than-expected 75,000 on the month in February.

February's decline took the adjusted jobless total down to 3.336 million, the Labour Office said today.

The adjusted jobless rate fell to 8 per cent from 8.1 per cent in the prior month. Bundesbank statistics showed the rate of 8 per cent was the lowest since November 1992.

The headline unadjusted jobless total fell to 3.617 million in February from 3.659 million in January.

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But economists said the positive trend that has pushed the jobless total down for 23 straight months was likely to slow.

In the final quarter of last year, private consumption fell by 0.8 per cent, slowing fourth quarter GDP growth, which registered 0.3 per cent after 0.7 per cent in the third quarter.