German unemployment declines slightly in Aug
Recovery progresses Google to invest $1.2bn in Germany cloud computing
BERLIN, Sept 4, (AP): The number of unemployed people in Germany declined slightly in August, unusually for the summer month, while the country’s jobless rate remained steady at 5.6%, official statistics showed.
In its last jobs report before a national election on Sept. 26, the Federal Labor Agency said that 2.578 million were registered as unemployed in August. That was 12,000 lower than in July and 377,000 lower than a year earlier.
It is the first time since 2010 that the number of jobless has dropped in August compared with the previous month, apparently reflecting a pickup after many coronavirus-related restrictions were dropped.
In seasonally adjusted terms, the unemployment rate dropped to 5.5% from 5.6%, the latest in a string of small declines.
Rises in unemployment in Germany and elsewhere in Europe have been moderate by international standards during the pandemic. That is because employers made heavy use of salary support programs, often referred to as furlough schemes, which allow them
to keep employees on the payroll while they await better times.
In Germany, the Federal Labor Agency pays at least 60% of the salary of employees who are on reduced or zero hours.
The labor agency said it paid support for 1.59 million people in June, the most recent month for which it had estimates. That was down from 2.26 million in May and far below a peak of nearly 6 million in April 2020.
BERLIN, Sept 4, (AP): Google said that it is investing 1 billion euros ($1.2 billion) by 2030 to expand its cloud computing infrastructure in Germany and to increase the use of renewable energy.
The internet giant said it plans to add new cloud computing centers in the Berlin region and in the town of Hanau, close to the DE-CIX data exchange in Frankfurt.
Google said it would purchase more than 140 megawatts of electricity from the German subsidiary of French utility company Engie over the coming years to operate the data centers.
The company said Engie will guarantee that 80% of the electricity comes from carbon-free sources, including a new solar park and 22 existing wind parks in Germany. Google said it aims to use 100% renewable energy by 2030.
Germany’s economy minister, Peter Altmaier, called the announcement a “strong signal” for green energy and digital infrastructure.