German unemployment rate steady at 6.8pc official data

FRANKFURT, Jan 30 (AFP): Germany's unemployment rate was steady in January, as the labour market continues to hold up thanks to the improving economic outlook, official data showed on Thursday.

The number of people registered as unemployed in Europe's top economy fell by 28,0000 in seasonally adjusted terms this month, the Federal Labour Office said in a statement.

Analysts had been projecting a much smaller decline of just 5,000.

The unemployment rate, which measures the number of people looking for work relative to the total of people in jobs or unemployed, was unchanged at 6.8 per cent in seasonally-adjusted terms in January, the Federal Labour Office said.