German unemployment higher in December, lowest average in 2 decades

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MIXED EMPLOYMENT REPORT: Germany’s unemployment rate edged higher in December, but the average number of people unemployed last year in Europe’s biggest economy was the lowest for two decades.

THE MONTHLY DETAILS: The government said Tuesday that the unadjusted jobless rate rose to 6.6 percent last month from 6.4 percent in November. But the seasonally adjusted jobless rate dipped to 6.8 percent from 6.9 percent a month earlier.

THE ANNUAL RESULTS: The number of people out of work averaged 2.976 million for the full year, 263,000 fewer than in 2010 and the lowest overall figure since 1991. Last year’s average jobless rate was 7.1 percent, down from 7.7 percent in 2010. Andreas Rees, an economist at UniCredit in Munich, said the German labor market still has “substantial” momentum.

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