The number of people out of work in Germany rose by an unadjusted 83,100 in February to 4.706 million, according to figures this morning from the German Labour Office.
The office said the unadjusted jobless rate in February was 11.3 per cent, up from 11.1 per cent in January. In west Germany the unadjusted number of jobless rose 52,600 in February to 2.95 million, giving a jobless rate of 9 per cent.
In east Germany, the unadjusted number rose 30,500 to 1.75 million, giving a jobless rate of 19.9 per cent, the Labour Office said.
The Labour Office said the main reason for the rise in unemployment is the weak economy. "As long as the German economy remains in a phase of stagnation, the labour market can not improve," it said.