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Unemployment rises sharply among people with severe disabilities
🇩🇪 Germany /Economy & Trade

Unemployment rises sharply among people with severe disabilities

From Die Zeit · () German

Translated from German and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire From a news agency Ongoing story
  • About 192,000 people with severe disabilities were registered as unemployed in Germany in July 2026, up 3.4% from a year earlier.
  • Their unemployment rate reached 12% in 2025, roughly twice the rate for all civilian workers, while overall unemployment rose 0.9% in the same comparison cited by the DGB.
  • The DGB and the Social Association of Germany cited workplace barriers and prejudice, and called for stronger enforcement of employment quotas.

Unemployment among people with severe disabilities is rising faster than unemployment overall in Germany, according to an analysis by the German Trade Union Confederation, or DGB. The figures show 192,000 people in this group registered as unemployed in July 2026, an increase of 3.4% over the previous year.

The unemployment rate for people with disabilities stood at 12% in 2025, about twice the rate among all civilian workers. The DGB said overall unemployment increased by 0.9% during the comparable period. Anja Piel, a member of the union federation’s executive board, said losing a job hits people with severe disabilities particularly hard because returning to work can be more difficult, even when they are well qualified.

People with severe disabilities are hit particularly hard by the loss of a job.

— Anja PielThe DGB executive board member described the difficulties disabled workers face after losing employment.

Federal Employment Agency data cited in the analysis showed that 48% of unemployed people with severe disabilities had no vocational training, compared with 55% among other unemployed people. The DGB pointed to everyday obstacles, including access problems for wheelchair users, complicated applications for support services and reservations among companies.

Because once they are without work, returning to employment is significantly more difficult than for other unemployed people, even though they are often well qualified.

— Anja PielPiel explained why unemployment can have a longer impact on people with severe disabilities.

German employers with at least 20 workers must employ people with severe disabilities. Businesses with 60 or more employees face a five-percent quota. In 2024, the average rate reached 4.7%, below the legal target, with private employers at 4.2% and the public sector at 6.1%. Employers that fall short pay a compensatory levy, which rose in 2024 from 320 to 815 euros per month when a company employed no one with a severe disability.

Piel said clear legal rules can increase employment when companies face greater responsibility. Michaela Engelmeier of the Social Association of Germany called the sharper rise in unemployment unacceptable and urged the quota to rise to at least 6%.

The fact that unemployment among people with severe disabilities is rising significantly faster than overall unemployment is unacceptable.

— Michaela EngelmeierThe Social Association of Germany chairwoman criticized the trend.
About this summary

Originally published by Die Zeit in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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