Germany Records Nearly 1-M Vacant Jobs in Q2

Berlin — Nearly one million jobs were vacant in Germany in the second quarter of 2016, partly because an influx of refugees boosted demand for teachers, a survey found on Tuesday.

In the second quarter of 2016, there were 985,200 vacancies in the German labor market, a survey by Germany’s Institute for Employment Research found. The figure was 10 percent more than a year earlier.

According to the research institute for the German Federal Labor Agency, a significant increase of vacancies was recorded in the education sector. During the three months from April to June, 45,000 jobs were unfilled. In the same period the previous year, there were 32,000 open jobs in the sector.

“An important factor is the increased demand for teachers, which is caused by the refugee immigration,” said agency researcher Alexander Kubis.

Germany has one of the strongest labor markets in the euro zone. Its unemployed rate is at the lowest level since the country’s reunification. The buoyant domestic economy has offset drops in foreign trade. (PNA/Xinhua) FPV/EBP