There is a debate, based on official government figures, private assessments and forecasts, about whether Germany is one of the few large nations in the world that has entered a true recovery. New information about its jobless rate bolsters the case for growth.

The Federal Employment Agency reported the good news.

Bloomberg assessed it against economic forecasts:

German unemployment unexpectedly fell in June amid signs a recovery in Europe’s biggest economy is on track even as the euro area struggles to emerge from its longest ever recession.

The number of people out of work dropped by a seasonally adjusted 12,000 to 2.94 million, after a revised gain of 17,000 in May, the Nuremberg-based Federal Labor Agency said today. Economists predicted a June increase of 8,000, according to the median of 35 estimates in a Bloomberg News survey. The adjusted jobless rate was at 6.8 percent, matching the two-decade low registered for most of last year. May’s rate was revised to 6.8 percent from 6.9 percent.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.