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A Perennial Issue: Joblessness (1991-2004)

Since unification in 1990, no issue has preoccupied Germans in East and West more than joblessness. During the period 1991-2004, the unemployment rate rose almost continuously in both parts of Germany, but the differences between the old and new Länder still remain considerable. East and West Germans alike lost jobs to globalization, but the losses were far more severe in the East, since they coincided with the restructuring of unprofitable industries.

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Registered Unemployed, Unemployment Rate

 

Germany as a whole

Territory of the former FRG,
not including Berlin*

New Länder,
including Berlin

Number of Unemployed

Unemployment Rate** in %

Number of Unemployed

Unemployment Rate** in %

Number of Unemployed

Unemployment Rate** in %

2005

4 860 234

13.0

3 246 097

11.0

1 614 137

20.6

2004

4 381 042

11.7

2 781 347

9.4

1 599 695

20.1

2003

4 376 028

11.6

2 752 589

9.3

1 623 439

20.1

2002

4 060 317

10.8

2 497 678

8.5

1 562 639

19.2

2001

3 852 564

10.4

2 320 500

8.0

1 532 064

18.8

2000

3 889 695

10.7

2 380 987

8.4

1 508 707

18.6

1999

4 100 499

11.7

2 604 720

9.6

1 495 779

18.7

1998

4 280 630

12.3

2 751 535

10.3

1 529 095

19.2

1997

4 384 456

12.7

2 870 021

10.8

1 514 435

19.1

1996

3 965 064

11.5

2 646 442

9.9

1 318 622

16.6

1995

3 611 921

10.4

2 427 083

9.1

1 184 838

14.8

1994

3 698 057

10.6

2 426 276

9.0

1 271 781

15.7

1993

3 419 141

9.8

2 149 465

8.0

1 269 676

15.4

1992
2 978 570
8.5
1 699 273
6.4
1 279 297
14.4
1991
2 602 203
7.3
1 596 457
6.2
1 005 746
10.2
1990
-
-
1 883 147
7.2
-
-
1989
-
-
2 037 781
7.9
-
-
1988
-
-
2 241 556
8.7
-
-
1987
-
-
2 228 788
8.9
-
-
1986
-
-
2 228 004
9.0
-
-
1985
-
-
2 304 014
9.3
-
-
1984
-
-
2 265 559
9.1
-
-
1983
-
-
2 258 235
9.1
-
-
1982
-
-
1 833 244
7.5
-
-
1981
-
-
1 271 574
5.5
-
-
1980
-
-
888 900
3.8
-
-
1979
-
-
876 137
3.8
-
-
1978
-
-
992 948
4.3
-
-
1977
-
-
1 029 995
4.5
-
-
1976
-
-
1 060 336
4.6
-
-
1975
-
-
1 074 217
4.7
-
-
1974
-
-
582 481
2.6
-
-
1973
-
-
273 498
1.2
-
-
1972
-
-
246 433
1.1
-
-
1971
-
-
185 072
0.8
-
-
1970
-
-
148 846
0.7
-
-
1969
-
-
178 579
0.9
-
-
1968
-
-
323 480
1.5
-
-
1967
-
-
459 489
2.1
-
-
1966
-
-
161 059
0.7
-
-
1965
-
-
147 352
0.7
-
-
1964
-
-
169 070
0.8
-
-
1963
-
-
185 646
0.8
-
-
1962
-
-
154 523
0.7
-
-
1961
-
-
180 855
0.8
-
-
1960
-
-
270 678
1.3
-
-
1959
-
-
539 942
2.6
-
-
1958
-
-
763 850
3.7
-
-
1957
-
-
753 711
3.7
-
-
1956
-
-
876 287
4.4
-
-
1955
-
-
1 073 576
5.6
-
-
1954
-
-
1 410 717
7.6
-
-
1953
-
-
1 491 000
8.4
-
-
1952
-
-
1 651 915
9.5
-
-
1951
-
-
1 713 887
10.4
-
-
1950
-
-
1 868 504
11.0
-
-

* Until 1990, the territory of the former FRG and West Berlin; from 1950 to 1958 without Saarland.
** Unemployment rate among dependent (i.e., non-self-employed) employable civilians.

Preliminary data was used from 1998 on.

 

Source: Federal Office of Statistics [Statistisches Bundesamt], Registrierte Arbeitslose, Arbeitslosenquote 1991-2005 [Registered Unemployed, Unemployment Rate, 1991-2005] (2007).

Translation: GHI staff

 

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