German unemployment steady in April despite lockdown

BERLIN (AP) — Germany’s Federal Labor Agency says unemployment remained steady in April as pandemic lockdown measures in Europe’s largest economy appeared not to dent the job market. The agency reported Thursday that the monthly unemployment rate remained unchanged at 6% when adjusted for seasonal factors. Its chairman says ongoing restrictions in many areas “are slowing down the recovery, but are not leading to any new strains” on Germany’s job market. Pandemic-related unemployment increases in Germany and elsewhere in Europe have been moderate by international standards. Employers are making heavy use of salary support programs that allow them to keep employees on their payrolls.