Economy Minister Wolfgang Clement vowed on Sunday that the struggle to slash Germany's chronically high jobless rate would go on, despite the weekend sacking of the head of the federal employment agency (BA).
"With economic growth of between 1.5 percent and two percent, we will have an average reduction in the number of unemployed of 100,000," Clement told reporters.
"In 2005, we can expect in all likelihood a real turnaround in the job market."
In an issue that ranks among Germany voters' top concerns, unemployment in December was hovering at 4.3 million or 10.4 percent of the working population.
Clement said that a reform drive launched by Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder's center-left government aimed at driving unemployment below four million would continue "unchanged" and "without delay" despite the firing of BA chief Florian Gerster on Saturday.
Gerster, who had been handpicked by Schroeder less than two years ago, was let go after getting caught up in a scandal over consulting contracts for the agency that were allegedly never put through a bidding process.
Clement said he was convinced the BA's 90,000 employees would continue to make progress in its work linking up the unemployed with available jobs.
"It is good and will keep getting better," he said.
The labour agency now has 30 days to present a successor to Gerster. The choice must be approved by the federal government.
Comments
Comments are closed.