Germany's unemployment shows monthly decline

Germany’s unemployment shows monthly decline

Germany's Federal Labor Office said that the country's unemployment number fell 44'000 month on month to 5.18 million in March 2005. The adjusted unemployment figure rose 628'122 year on year, however. The weak economy and the government's welfare reforms earlier in the year affected the unemployment figure. Germany's high unemployment has eaten into the approval ratings of Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder and his Social Democrats.