The Federal Employment Agency said on Tuesday that the demand for workers in Germany has dropped significantly in October due to the country’s weakening economy.
Its monthly BA-X index, which tracks the demand for labour in the country, dropped to 232 points down 5 points from September and 22 points from the same time in 2018.
The decreasing demand for workers is particularly noticeable in temporary employment, the industrial sector, the retail trade, the transport industry and the logistics branch, the agency said.
Employers however, continued to seek new staff in sectors that are less affected by economic conditions, such as public administration, social services, healthcare and education.
The BA-X is based on current job vacancies at companies.
The reference value is the average recorded in 2004, which is stated as 100 points.
Germany’s economy shrank between April and June, when a decline in exports dampened growth, according to official data, which comes amid concerns of a global slowdown.
Gross domestic product (GDP) fell by 0.1% compared with the previous quarter, according to the Federal Statistics Office.
