Unemployment among university graduates in Germany has reached a record high, with younger people particularly affected by the country’s struggling economy and the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI), the Federal Employment Agency said.
The number of unemployed university graduates climbed to 372,000 in August, continuing a steady rise over the past five years, according to the agency. Graduates under the age of 30 have been particularly hard hit.
Despite the increase, higher education continues to offer considerable protection against unemployment. The unemployment rate among university graduates stood at 3.3% in 2025, roughly half the rate for the population as a whole.
The rate was slightly higher, at 3.6%, among people with completed vocational qualifications, while more than 21% of those without formal vocational qualifications were unemployed, according to the agency.
Unemployment rates also varied considerably depending on the field of study. Fewer than 2% of teaching graduates were unemployed in 2025, compared with 4.6% of humanities graduates and 3.8% of engineering graduates.
The employment agency attributed the rise in unemployment primarily to Germany’s difficult economic situation and the increasing use of AI, with young people in entry-level positions particularly affected. However, it said AI was generally not expected to replace entire professions.
