German labor market takes a hit in April

The number of people seeking work in Germany fell in April, but discounting seasonal and technical factors, the jobless figure actually rose for the month. Technically, the figure fell by some 104,000 jobseekers, to 4.4 million -- around 10.7 percent of the workforce, according to data published by the Federal Labor Agency. But when adjusted for seasonal factors and for a new way of compiling statistics, introduced this year, the number of unemployed actually increased. In April, 23,000 more people were looking for work, bringing the total up to some 10.5 percent of the working-age population. "The situation on the labor market deteriorated further in April," labor office chief Frank Weise told news agencies.