According to the reports of the Federal Employment Agency, 3,195,740 people were unemployed in August 2008. Among them, 154,266 persons with severe disabilities were registered as unemployed. Compared to July 2008, general unemployment rates slightly decreased by 0.45 percent during the last month. Unemployment figures among persons with severe disabilities even dropped by 0.54 percent.

Annual comparison however suggests a somewhat different picture. Compared to August 2007, unemployment rates fell by a total of 13.8 percent. On the other hand, unemployment among persons with severe disabilities decreased only by 8.8 percent during the same period.