BERLIN (dpa-AFX) - Germany's unemployment declined unexpectedly in January, the Federal Employment Agency reported Thursday.
The number of people out of work decreased by 2,000 from the previous month, confounding expectations for an increase of 5,000 in January. Unemployment totaled 2.277 million.
The unemployment rate remained unchanged at a near record low 5 percent in January, in line with expectations.
The economic weakness continues to leave its mark on the job market, Federal Employment Agency CEO Detlef Scheele said. However, it was robust at the beginning of the year.
Data released earlier in the day by Destatis showed that the jobless rate held steady at a seasonally adjusted 3.2 percent in December.
According to labor force survey, around 1.40 million people were unemployed in December, which was an increase of 78,000 people compared with the same month a year earlier.
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