According to offical figures, the number of people out of work in Germany rose by 7,000 in June to give a jobless rate of 6.8% of the workforce.  However, the relatively modest rise left the percentage of the workforce without a job unchanged.   The German Employment Agency’s figures recorded the third consecutive monthly increase.    The actual number out of work in June was 2.882 million, from an upwardly revised 2.875 million in May.

Germany’s economy has been the best performer of the eurozone, growing by 3% in both of the past two years.   However, its key fellow eurozone customers have been struggling, and exports to fellow nations have been weakening.

Credit: BBC/Reuters