The number of unemployed in the Main-Taunus district fell slightly in 2025. While 11,836 people were looking for work in January and the 12,000 mark was exceeded in summer, by the end of the year the figure had dropped to 11,547. However, only 4,609 of these are actually unemployed; the rest are in support programmes or are so-called top-up recipients whose wages are not enough to live on.
Job center director Raphael Stanko cites a lack of language skills, high rents and inadequate childcare as the biggest obstacles. “Our highest goal is integration, meaning no more benefit claims,” says Stanko. Since 1 April, the job center has been under the authority of councillor Madlen Overdick (Greens).
The placement of Ukrainians was particularly successful: in 2025, 224 Ukrainians were placed in employment, twice as many as the previous year, and a further 168 took on a mini-job. Currently, 1,783 Ukrainians are registered as unemployed. Many of them have settled in for a longer stay and are learning German, says Overdick.
The state of Hesse’s target was 1,100 placements, but 1,787 cases were achieved. According to Stanko, this is partly due to the regional restructuring of the job center three years ago. The “Work Plus” programme also helps, where mini-jobbers are coached to increase their hours to part-time or full-time – 65 percent of participants were placed.
Source: www.faz.net
