What are unemployed persons?
The number of unemployed persons calculated by the Federal Statistical Office must not be used synonymously with the number of registered unemployed. It is calculated according to the employment status concept of the International Labour Organization (ILO) and is internationally comparable.
According to the ILO definition, any person aged between 15 and 74 years who was not in employment at the time of the survey and who actively sought a job in the last four weeks before the survey is considered unemployed. The extent in terms of time of the job sought is not relevant here. The person must be able to take up a new job within two weeks. It is not necessary to involve an employment agency or a municipal institution in the job search.
The unemployment rate is the share of unemployed in the labour force.
Pitfalls in international comparisons of unemployment
National unemployment figures such as the number of registered unemployed published by the Federal Employment Agency are suitable for international comparisons to a very limited extent only. The issue of who is considered unemployed in a country can differ considerably, depending on how the national legislation is oriented in terms of labour market and social policies.
Also, when interpreting the unemployment figures according to the ILO concept, it should be taken into account that those figures can have different socio-political meanings in the various countries. For example, the figures must be interpreted in the context of the social security of unemployed persons or of the number of those who, despite being in employment, achieve just a low standard of living (“working poor”, precarious employment). Also, socio-political measures such as generous rules in case of incapacity for work or early retirement can contribute to a situation where some persons do not have to look for a job any more under those conditions, whereas in other countries, which do not have such regulations, they would be counted as unemployed.
Labour market