Unemployment Insurance : Germany

As a matter of principle, all employed persons (wage earners, salaried employees, homeworkers and trainees) are insured under the unemployment insurance scheme. Employees and employers each pay half of the unemployment insurance contributions. As a rule, persons who become unemployed receive an unemployment benefit in the amount of 60 percent (67 percent if they have a child) of their estimated net wages or salary if they were gainfully employed and obligated to pay unemployment insurance contributions for at least 360 days during the course of the previous three years. The length of time that unemployed persons may draw unemployment benefits varies according to age.