Jobless rate climbs to 11.1%

In the latest employment report for Wuppertal, a significant shift has been observed in the job market.

The number of long-term unemployed individuals has seen a 28.6 percent increase compared to the same period last year, now totaling 9,056 people. This rise in long-term unemployment was accompanied by a decrease of 1,043 individuals in underemployment.

Despite this increase, the majority of long-term unemployed and underemployed individuals are receiving some form of assistance. According to the report, 92.1 percent or 32,646 people are currently receiving aid. Of these, 8,473 (93.6 percent) are receiving basic security.

The job market has shown some positive signs as well. There was an increase of 12 percent in job openings compared to the previous month, bringing the total number of open positions to 888. However, this number is 250 fewer than the same period last year.

The youth unemployment rate has also seen a rise, with a 15.5 percent increase in youth unemployment compared to the previous month. This has resulted in 2,237 young people under the age of 25 being unemployed.

On a positive note, 3,259 people managed to end their unemployment, and 3,622 citizens registered as newly or re-employed unemployed in the current month.

Looking back at August 2025, the Wuppertal Employment Agency received 243 new job openings, a number that is 1,957 more than the same period last year but 2,857 fewer than the previous month.

Underemployment currently affects 26,646 people, an increase of 184 compared to the previous month. This is 301 more than the previous month, indicating a steady increase in underemployment.

The combined number of long-term unemployed and underemployed individuals has decreased by 2,857 compared to the previous month but increased by 1,957 compared to the same period last year. This stands at 35,702 individuals.

However, there were 297 fewer job openings reported compared to the start of the year. The exact number of long-term unemployed people in Wuppertal in January 2025 could not be determined due to a lack of specific search results.

Despite these challenges, efforts continue to be made to support those affected by unemployment and underemployment, and to create more job opportunities in Wuppertal.