The number of unemployed people in Germany, the eurozone's biggest economy, dipped below the politically key mark of four million in April, Labour Minister Franz Muentefering said May 1. The jobless count dropped to 3.967 million last month, Muentefering said, and predicted that the number would continue to fall this year.
"The growth forecasts and labor market development show a clear trend: unemployment is sinking," Muentefering said.
Around 5.05 million people were on the dole in April 2005, about 1.1 million more than now, he said. He noted a strong, positive trend among the jobless under the age of 25, with their numbers sliding to about 400,000 from 555,000 two years ago.
German joblessness in March stood at 4.108 million.
Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2007
