Unemployment Benefits in Germany
The Bundesagentur für Arbeit pays unemployment benefit (Arbeitslosengeld) of 60% (67% with a child) of net pay for 6 to 24 months to people insured at least 12 months in the last 30; after that, local Jobcenters pay the tax-funded Grundsicherungsgeld. Pension, health and care insurance continue while Arbeitslosengeld is paid.
✓ From official pages ✓ Each part says when we checked
At a glance
Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit)
Bundesagentur für Arbeit free service number (appointments, forms)
The job market in Germany
The International Labour Organization's estimates put Germany 64th lowest of 183 countries for unemployment in 2025; the world's rate was 4.9%.
Germany's unemployment rate over the years · every country, ranked
What to do first
- Register with the public employment service, Bundesagentur für Arbeit. Official page
- Apply for Unemployment benefit (Arbeitslosengeld): register as unemployed (online or at your local Agentur für Arbeit); registering counts as the day of application. About 2 weeks before unemployment starts is enough. Official page
- Keep up with the job-search rule while you claim (below), and keep a record of where you applied.
- Search the government's job listings on Jobsuche (Bundesagentur für Arbeit). Official page
- See whether you can get Grundsicherungsgeld (basic income support for jobseekers). Official page
- Questions: call 0800 4 5555 00 (Bundesagentur für Arbeit free service number (appointments, forms)).
Unemployment benefit (Arbeitslosengeld)
Who can get it. People registered as unemployed who were compulsorily or voluntarily insured for at least 12 months in the 30 months before registering.
How much. 60 percent of the Leistungsentgelt (daily net pay) per day; 67 percent if you or your spouse/partner has at least one child.
For how long. At most 12 months under age 50; from age 50 rising in steps to up to 24 months.
How to claim. Register as unemployed (online or at your local Agentur für Arbeit); registering counts as the day of application. About 2 weeks before unemployment starts is enough.
From an official page, read October 25, 2026.
Looking for work while you claim
To get Arbeitslosengeld you must use every possibility to get back into work, including the obligations of your integration agreement and the job-search efforts (Eigenbemühungen) set for you, such as written applications, reading job ads, visiting employers, using the agency's job search, and attending job fairs. Which activities and how you prove them are set in your agreement or the written statement of your efforts; not meeting them leads to a benefit block (Sperrzeit).
- Register as unemployed with the Agentur für Arbeit
- Make the job-search efforts set in the integration agreement and prove them
- Report in person when invited
- Be reachable by post every working day
- Be ready to accept any suitable job and suitable training offers
Reporting. Prove your efforts as set out in your integration agreement or written statement of efforts; report in person to the Agentur für Arbeit whenever it asks you to (Meldepflicht).
From an official page, read October 25, 2026.
Keep my work search record for Germany
Free. It lists where you applied and what else you did to look for work, each line ready to copy into the form you report on. It is your own record: we send nothing to any government.
Help finding work
- The public employment service: Bundesagentur für Arbeit
- The government's job listings: Jobsuche (Bundesagentur für Arbeit)
Grundsicherungsgeld (basic income support for jobseekers)
Tax-funded benefit that secures the minimum subsistence level, paid by local Jobcenters; it does not follow Arbeitslosengeld automatically, so apply at your Jobcenter in time.
From an official page, read October 25, 2026.
Health cover between jobs
While you receive Arbeitslosengeld, pension, health and long-term care insurance continue.
From an official page, read October 25, 2026.
Who to call
Bundesagentur für Arbeit free service number (appointments, forms): 0800 4 5555 00.
From an official page, read October 25, 2026.
Questions
Is there unemployment benefit in Germany?
Yes: Unemployment benefit (Arbeitslosengeld), paid by Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit).
How much is unemployment benefit in Germany?
60 percent of the Leistungsentgelt (daily net pay) per day; 67 percent if you or your spouse/partner has at least one child.
How long does unemployment benefit last in Germany?
At most 12 months under age 50; from age 50 rising in steps to up to 24 months.
How do I claim unemployment benefit in Germany?
Register as unemployed (online or at your local Agentur für Arbeit); registering counts as the day of application. About 2 weeks before unemployment starts is enough.
Do I have to look for work while I claim in Germany?
To get Arbeitslosengeld you must use every possibility to get back into work, including the obligations of your integration agreement and the job-search efforts (Eigenbemühungen) set for you, such as written applications, reading job ads, visiting employers, using the agency's job search, and attending job fairs. Which activities and how you prove them are set in your agreement or the written statement of your efforts; not meeting them leads to a benefit block (Sperrzeit).
Who do I call about unemployment in Germany?
Bundesagentur für Arbeit free service number (appointments, forms): 0800 4 5555 00.
Where can I get help finding a job in Germany?
The public employment service is Bundesagentur für Arbeit. The government lists jobs on Jobsuche (Bundesagentur für Arbeit).
Nearby countries
Austria
Belgium
France
Liechtenstein
Luxembourg
Monaco
Netherlands
Switzerland
Where this comes from
Every part of this page was read on an official website, and each links the page it came from and the day we checked it. Rules and amounts change, so check that page before you rely on a figure. Jobareer is not part of any government and cannot see or change a claim.
See also: unemployment rate by country · Germany's unemployment rate · unemployment in the US, state by state.