Wuppertal: Unemployment numbers are falling slightly – hope or illusion?

Wuppertal: Unemployment numbers are falling slightly – hope or illusion?

There is a little happening on the job market in Wuppertal, even if the numbers are not necessarily euphoric. Loud Radiowuppertal The number of unemployed is currently 20,116, which corresponds to a minimal decrease of 0.1 percent compared to the previous month. Nevertheless, the unemployment rate remains high at 9.3 percent. However, compared to the same month last year, the numbers are worrying: While unemployment has risen by around 15 percent overall, demand for workers remains rather subdued. In May, there was even a 5.3 percent decline in job vacancies, meaning there are currently only 946 jobs available.

As further reported, the majority of vacancies show that they are skilled positions. Thorsten Schumacher, the operational managing director of the Solingen-Wuppertal employment agency, emphasizes that there has been a slight decline in unemployment in the SGB III/insurance area. However, this is offset by an increase in unemployment in SGB II/basic security, which is primarily due to the lower funding provided by the job center. Wuppertaler Rundschau reported almost 300 fewer available places in activation measures compared to the previous month.

The details about the unemployment figures

In the current month, 3,278 people registered as newly unemployed or re-registered as unemployed, while 3,163 people managed to successfully end their unemployment. There are real ups and downs on the labor market: The number of long-term unemployed people has increased to 8,667 people, which represents an increase of 21.8 percent compared to the previous year. It is also astonishing that 93.4 percent of these long-term unemployed people receive basic social security.

The youth sector also doesn't seem to be giving the all-clear. Managing Director Schumacher is concerned about the 1,784 young people under the age of 25 who are currently unemployed. Here, too, there was an increase compared to the same month last year: 243 more people are currently looking for a job. Although the numbers are down compared to the previous month, the overall situation remains tense.

A look at the vacancies

Although there are some positive signs - 209 new jobs were reported to the Wuppertal Employment Agency in May, which corresponds to an increase of 18.8 percent compared to the previous month - the numbers since the beginning of the year are not exactly rosy. A total of 283 fewer jobs were reported than in the previous year, which corresponds to a decline of 21.4 percent. There are currently 953 vacancies, 53 more than in the previous month, but 122 fewer than in the same period last year.

The employment agency has therefore taken up the further training of people in order to promote vacant positions. However, the effectiveness of these programs remains questionable as companies overall remain reluctant to hire new employees. The labor market in Wuppertal remains tense and it remains to be seen how the numbers will develop in the coming months.