German unemployment jumped in January to 8.6% of the workforce, with a total of 3.617 million unemployed, the Federal Labour Agency said today, but the rise was lower than feared by analysts.
In December, unemployment in Europe's biggest economy had been 7.8%, according to unadjusted data.
Analysts had expected the number of unemployed adjusted for seasonal factors to climb by 20,000 this month, whereas the figure rose by a much more modest 6,000, the labour agency reported.
The adjusted unemployment rate stood at 8.2%, up from 8.1% in December.
'The financial crisis has had a smaller impact on the jobs market than previously feared,' said the head of the office, Frank-Juergen Weise.
