Unemployment in Western Pomerania-Rügen: Alarming figures in November!

Unemployment in Western Pomerania-Rügen: Alarming figures in November!

Rising unemployment is currently receiving attention in the Vorpommern-Rügen district. There was a sharp increase in November 2025, when the number of unemployed climbed to 10,121 people, an increase of 704 compared to the previous month. What is particularly noteworthy is that this increase is significantly higher than the previous year. As a result, the unemployment rate rose to 9.0 percent - an increase of 0.6 percentage points compared to October, according to the Baltic Sea newspaper reported.

However, Dirk Hausweiler, managing director of the employment agency in Stralsund, remains calm. He emphasizes that November traditionally marks the end of the peak tourism season, which can lead to temporary layoffs. Many employees, especially in the hotel and catering industry, apply for unemployment benefits during this time until the next season. Unemployment is expected to continue rising at the start of the year.

Regional differences

A look at the individual regions shows clear differences. There are currently 2,667 people unemployed on Rügen, which corresponds to an increase of 432 compared to the previous month and an increase of 19.3 percent. The unemployment rate on Rügen is therefore 8.1 percent. In Ribnitz-Damgarten, the statistics record 2,025 unemployed people - 148 more than in October - with a rate of 7.9 percent, the lowest overall in the Stralsund agency district. Grimmen has 1,523 unemployed people, which means an increase to 9.4 percent. In Stralsund itself the number of unemployed is 3,421, which results in an increase to 12.0 percent and is therefore the highest rate in Western Pomerania-Rügen.

Long-term unemployment remains a burning issue, as of the 10,121 unemployed in the region, 4,322 are long-term unemployed. This corresponds to 42.7 percent of total unemployment and shows that the situation is not improving for many of those affected in the region. Added to this are price increases and economic uncertainty, which are dampening employers' willingness to create new jobs and further increasing the risk of prolonged unemployment.

Looking at the past

The comparison to previous years is interesting: In April 2023, unemployment in Western Pomerania-Rügen had actually fallen significantly, with a number of 10,076 unemployed and a decline in the rate to 8.9 percent. Thorsten Nappe, chairman of the Stralsund Employment Agency, explains that there was a seasonal economic increase that contributed significantly to the positive development. Since then, however, the situation has changed fundamentally, which highlights the usual fluctuations in the tourism industry the employment agency determines.

Developments in the labor market are an important issue for the region and both employers and employees face various challenges. The next few months will be crucial as to whether society in Western Pomerania-Rügen can reverse the trends or whether unemployment will continue to rise.