Both in absolute figures and relative to the previous year's level, the decline in employment is not only higher than at the peak of the international economic and financial crisis in 2009 (April 2009 –76,142 and –2.3 percent respectively), but also the highest decline since the winter of 1952-53 (December 1952 –115,459 and –5.9 percent respectively). In the face of the corona crisis, unemployment rose by almost 200,000 within two weeks to a record level of 563,000 people at the end of March.
The decline in employment affected – with considerable differences – all Länder and most sectors of the economy,
especially services, but also some areas of manufacturing, including the construction industry. Men are more affected than
women, younger age groups and foreign workers more than domestic workers.
