Unemployment in Germany could top five million

Germany’s jobless figure could reach or even top the five million mark for the first time, the nation’s economics ministry said today, citing a new system for tallying the unemployed.

Ahead of the release of official numbers for January on Wednesday, the economics and labour ministry explained that an additional 200,000 to 300,000 long-term unemployed will for the first time be counted along with those who lost jobs this month.