German jobless hits Nazi-era highs

Wednesday, February 2, 2005 Posted: 1017 GMT (1817 HKT)

BERLIN, Germany (Reuters) -- Germany's jobless total rose above five million in January for the first time since the 1930s, a labor office source has said, highlighting the main threat to Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's 2006 re-election bid.

********************

A source from the Federal Labor Office told Reuters that the unadjusted German jobless total increased by 573,000 last month to 5.037 million.

The source said the rise put the unadjusted jobless rate at 12.1 percent.

12.1 percent! And they complain about USA's unemployment rate. Ah, well, there must be some price paid for the socialist benefits that the government provides, which go to raise taxes and therefore product prices, closing factories by the scores.