Germany unemployment benefit recipients
Germany unemployment benefit recipients are tracked monthly alongside support programme participants.
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| Indicator | 08-2026 | 07-2026 | 06-2026 | 05-2026 | 04-2026 | 03-2026 | 02-2026 | 01-2026 | 12-2025 | 11-2025 | 10-2025 | 09-2025 | 08-2025 | 07-2025 | 06-2025 | 05-2025 | 04-2025 | 03-2025 | 02-2025 | 01-2025 | 12-2024 | 11-2024 | 10-2024 | 09-2024 | 08-2024 | 07-2024 | 06-2024 | 05-2024 | 04-2024 | 03-2024 | 02-2024 | 01-2024 | 12-2023 | 11-2023 | 10-2023 | 09-2023 | 08-2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic income support (SGB II)2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Employable benefit recipients (ELB)2 | 3,736,100 | 3,763,520 | 3,787,880 | 3,806,130 | 3,822,190 | 3,830,860 | 3,834,050 | 3,824,040 | 3,811,940 | 3,808,840 | 3,831,060 | 3,848,960 | 3,869,910 | 3,896,010 | 3,908,250 | 3,932,280 | 3,951,270 | 3,966,530 | 3,970,640 | 3,962,880 | 3,945,520 | 3,941,710 | 3,961,840 | 3,973,230 | 3,988,750 | 4,003,260 | 4,005,390 | 4,013,780 | 4,017,680 | 4,012,170 | 4,006,260 | 3,982,810 | 3,928,640 | 3,920,290 | 3,925,400 | 3,929,810 | 3,945,000 | |
| Unemployed employable benefit recipients | 1,743,490 | 1,748,580 | 1,769,380 | 1,777,910 | 1,790,870 | 1,799,880 | 1,757,750 | 1,745,170 | 1,760,300 | 1,790,860 | 1,840,940 | 1,814,350 | 1,796,920 | 1,792,730 | 1,800,830 | 1,810,670 | 1,805,310 | 1,806,000 | 1,754,670 | 1,739,120 | 1,746,620 | 1,759,010 | 1,806,230 | 1,769,230 | 1,740,330 | 1,738,790 | 1,745,460 | 1,747,100 | 1,754,440 | 1,745,230 | 1,687,870 | 1,673,000 | 1,679,080 | 1,688,840 | 1,737,790 | |||
| Employed employable benefit recipients | 765,470 | 768,900 | 769,480 | 773,990 | 786,340 | 800,220 | 799,150 | 812,950 | 811,140 | 803,360 | 806,460 | 809,600 | 813,150 | 812,470 | 811,170 | 813,090 | 821,910 | 834,060 | 831,880 | 843,140 | 838,130 | 828,710 | 825,020 | 822,900 | 825,240 | 821,390 | 814,460 | 814,190 | 818,200 | 811,850 | 810,440 | 818,480 | 812,040 | 802,910 | ||||
| Long-term benefit recipients (LZB) | 2,552,390 | 2,555,300 | 2,556,860 | 2,562,440 | 2,562,540 | 2,560,750 | 2,558,280 | 2,569,590 | 2,573,090 | 2,583,210 | 2,593,000 | 2,592,040 | 2,593,340 | 2,591,120 | 2,592,630 | 2,592,830 | 2,586,860 | 2,577,360 | 2,566,730 | 2,569,500 | 2,560,250 | 2,560,900 | 2,558,010 | 2,542,770 | 2,518,950 | 2,489,220 | 2,451,820 | 2,287,960 | 2,290,170 | 2,285,310 | 2,286,450 | 2,298,240 | 2,307,580 | 2,323,790 | ||||
| Unemployment benefits (SGB III)2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Unemployment-benefit recipients while unemployed | 1,116,460 | 1,094,360 | 1,052,320 | 1,051,450 | 1,069,750 | 1,102,080 | 1,132,990 | 1,117,800 | 1,023,040 | 984,200 | 977,630 | 997,070 | 1,023,770 | 1,001,390 | 962,160 | 959,260 | 976,490 | 1,005,900 | 1,035,160 | 1,024,270 | 931,600 | 889,410 | 879,930 | 889,480 | 920,000 | 897,520 | 867,320 | 856,360 | 862,410 | 897,780 | 933,790 | 913,190 | 833,260 | 790,610 | 782,690 | 783,160 | 815,500 | |
| Unemployment-benefit recipients in continuing training | 66,790 | 71,600 | 73,090 | 73,190 | 70,810 | 68,620 | 68,060 | 69,030 | 67,810 | 65,750 | 61,870 | 59,330 | 61,560 | 66,230 | 68,530 | 69,110 | 68,710 | 67,460 | 67,090 | 68,010 | 67,520 | 65,800 | 61,630 | 58,170 | 59,420 | 63,300 | 65,370 | 65,570 | 63,500 | 61,390 | 60,420 | 60,920 | 60,480 | 57,900 | 54,590 | 51,180 | ||
| Labour-market programmes2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Participants in support programmes | 730,790 | 737,020 | 726,110 | 707,490 | 689,600 | 683,520 | 704,570 | 713,990 | 696,340 | 659,270 | 614,610 | 638,140 | 669,740 | 682,750 | 686,210 | 680,590 | 678,000 | 680,970 | 713,000 | 732,490 | 726,700 | 701,090 | 664,550 | 690,060 | 719,590 | 723,110 | 716,400 | 700,220 | 684,780 | 685,830 | 709,820 | 723,280 | 711,860 | 689,360 | 638,730 | |||
| Entries into support programmes | 168,990 | 191,230 | 203,360 | 195,520 | 177,800 | 142,120 | 159,420 | 169,540 | 209,240 | 222,100 | 162,850 | 159,490 | 145,520 | 162,960 | 173,540 | 173,040 | 171,260 | 131,670 | 152,700 | 168,110 | 213,950 | 233,940 | 174,830 | 189,190 | 160,730 | 179,340 | 197,790 | 186,360 | 179,090 | 143,080 | 158,710 | 178,140 | 185,740 | 225,460 | 178,610 | |||
| Vocational training market2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Applicants | 433,200 | 429,610 | 417,520 | 407,590 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Reported vocational training places | 451,160 | 483,540 | 502,360 | 527,460 |
Latest reading
The series on this page is monthly and runs from May 2015 to Sep 2026.
About this data
Germany unemployment benefit recipients are tracked monthly alongside support programme participants. The figures cover employable benefit recipients, including long-term recipients and those simultaneously in employment. The Statistik der Bundesagentur für Arbeit also reports individuals receiving benefits while unemployed or in continuing training. Available since 2015, the series include reported vocational training places and applicant numbers.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the latest figure for Germany unemployment benefit recipients?
- Employable benefit recipients (ELB) stood at 3,703,670 persons in Sep 2026. That is −0.9% from Aug 2026 and −3.8% from a year earlier.
- Is Germany unemployment benefit recipients at a high or a low right now?
- The reading of 3,703,670 persons is the lowest since May 2022.
- How far back does the Germany unemployment benefit recipients data go?
- The series on this page is monthly and runs from May 2015 to Sep 2026. Every series in the table can be charted over its full history and downloaded as CSV or Excel.
- What do the statistics on German benefit recipients cover?
- The statistics for Germany unemployment benefit recipients count individuals receiving financial support under the SGB II and SGB III systems. This includes both employable persons seeking work and those participating in continuing training or support programmes.
- Which groups are included in the German employable benefit recipients data?
- The figures for Germany employable benefit recipients cover individuals receiving support while unemployed, as well as those who are simultaneously in employment. The data also separately identifies long-term benefit recipients.
- Does the German unemployment benefits dataset include vocational training figures?
- Yes, alongside Germany unemployment benefit recipients, the dataset tracks the vocational training market. It includes the number of reported vocational training places and the total number of applicants seeking these positions.