Düsseldorf (dpa / lnw) – The number of unemployed in North Rhine-Westphalia rose slightly in February, as is usual for the season. A total of 705,193 people were registered as unemployed in the most populous federal state. That was 2,674 people or 0.4 percent more than in the previous month, as reported by the NRW regional office of the Federal Employment Agency on Wednesday. The unemployment rate remained at 7.2 percent.
Overall, the job market in NRW has continued to be robust, said the head of the NRW regional directorate, Roland Schuessler. “To put it in a picture: the engine is running, if not at full speed.” The increase in the number of unemployed is seasonal and is mainly due to the fact that many young people have temporarily registered as unemployed after the end of their dual vocational training. However, given the need for qualified professionals, most of those affected would have no problem finding a new job quickly.
Compared to the previous year, however, the number of unemployed in NRW has increased by more than 41,000 or 6.3 percent. The main reason for this is the influx of Ukrainian war refugees, said Schuessler. As of February 14, around 38,000 people who had fled Ukraine were registered as unemployed in NRW.
“After completing language and integration courses in the coming months, many will be looking for a job,” said Schuessler. Their chances are good because they are generally well educated and the labor market in NRW is receptive to their qualifications. By December, 16,300 people who had fled Russia’s war of aggression had already found employment in North Rhine-Westphalia.
The regional differences in the North Rhine-Westphalian labor market were also large in February. The unemployment rate was highest in the Ruhr area at 9.9 percent. It was 7 percent in the Rhineland, 6.9 percent in the Bergisches Land, 5.7 percent in Ostwestfalen-Lippe and 5.5 percent in South Westphalia. The unemployment rate was lowest in Münsterland at 4.5 percent.