Work: Unemployment among severely disabled people significantly increased
People with severe disabilities are often well-educated. However, there are many obstacles in the job market. This is especially true when the economy is not doing well.
The unemployment rate for people with severe disabilities in Germany rose to 12% in 2025, nearly double the general unemployment rate. According to the German Trade Union Confederation (DGB), 192,000 people with severe disabilities were registered as unemployed in July 2026, a 3.4% increase from the previous year. The DGB attributes the higher unemployment rate to obstacles such as everyday barriers, complicated application procedures for support services, and employer reservations.
In 2024, only 1.4 million people with severe disabilities worked in companies that are required by law to employ them, with an average employment quota of 4.7%. Employers who fail to meet the quota must pay a compensation fee, which increased to 815 euros per month in 2024.
Written by urgent.news from Handelsblatt's report — not a translation of it. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
