In Germany, unemployment figures for September 2009 surprised experts. This fall, the recovery was faster than anticipated and unemployment dropped of 8.3% in August and 8% in September (7.4% in September 2008). “Alas, this isn’t the trend to come” commented Jurgen Weise, leader of the Federal Employment Agency (BA). He is expecting an average of 4.1 million jobseekers in 2010 (3.34 million in September 2009). While the unemployment wave taking shape before the summer still hasn’t arrived, and that 1.4 million German employees are still on short-time working, the number of businesses laying off or cutting jobs in increasing, as well as employers’ requests for wage freezes. In a study published last week by Hewitt Associates, carried out among 30 large German businesses leader in their sector, 64% of human resources managers are expecting to cut or freeze their company’s payroll in the coming months.
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e summer still hasn’t arrived, and that 1.4 million German employees are still on short-time working, the number of businesses laying off or cutting jobs in increasing, as well as employers’ requests for wage freezes. In a study published last week by Hewitt Associates, carried out among 30 large German businesses leader in their sector, 64% of human resources managers are expecting to cut or freeze their company’s payroll in the coming months.

Layoffs, social plans and wage freezes at Heidelber

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