Unemployment in Saarland fell slightly last month, as is usual for the season. The rate fell from September to October from 6.5 to 6.4 percent, as the regional directorate of the Federal Employment Agency announced on Wednesday. Accordingly, in October 33,664 people were without permanent gainful employment. That was 357 or 1.0 percent less than in the previous month. Compared to October 2021, however, there was a slight increase in unemployment by 92 people or 0.3 percent. The reference date for the survey was October 13.

The companies in the federal state also reported slightly more short-time work again. According to data from the regional directorate, 50 of these notifications were received in October for a total of 900 employees. In September there were 30 ads for 700 employees. The ads are initially about approval for short-time work - whether this will then be implemented is initially open.

According to estimates by the Federal Agency, the job market will be increasingly influenced by the general economic downturn in the coming months. "In 2023, the consequences of war and crises will probably dampen the previously positive development on the labor market," said Heidrun Schulz, head of the Rhineland-Palatinate-Saarland regional directorate. The Institute for Labor Market and Occupational Research (IAB) expects unemployment to rise by 0.3 percent in Saarland next year.

Companies in the federal state reported a total of 12,100 job vacancies in October. That was 1,500 or 13.9 percent more than in the previous year. Most vacancies were in temporary employment (2110), manufacturing (1660), health and social services (1630) and trade (1290).

There are still many vacancies in vocational training. In the career counseling year that ended at the end of September, 4,600 young people who were looking for an apprenticeship contacted the employment agency and the job centers - 2.5 percent more than a year earlier. A total of 7,300 training positions had to be filled. That was twelve percent more than in the same period last year. "The training market is increasingly developing into a market for applicants," explained the regional directorate in Saarbrücken. "There are 65 applicants for every 100 company training positions." Thus, adolescents and young adults could choose from an ever-increasing variety of positions. Conversely, it is becoming increasingly difficult for companies to fill training positions.