Arbeitsmarkt: Zahl der arbeitslosen Akademiker erreicht Höchststand

Nürnberg — The unemployment rate among German academics has reached its highest point, according to the Federal Employment Agency. In August 2026, the number of jobless academics stood at 372,000, a figure that has been steadily rising over the past five years. Younger graduates under 30 years old are particularly affected. However, education largely serves as a safeguard against unemployment, with an unemployment rate of 3.3% among academics in 2025, which is roughly half the national average of 3.6%.

The situation is even more stark for those with only a vocational qualification, where the rate is 3.6%, compared to over 21% for those without a formal qualification. The statistics reveal significant differences in the types of degrees, with teaching graduates barely unemployed at 2% in 2025, while those in humanities were 4.6% above the average, and engineers at 3.8%.

The rise in unemployment is attributed to a strained economy and the growing use of Artificial Intelligence, which poses the greatest threat to young people in entry-level positions. Nevertheless, it is generally believed that AI will not entirely replace entire professions.