On top of all this, everything is getting more expensive. In April, inflation rose to 2.9%. — this is the highest level since January 2024. “Also in the following months, the increase in energy prices will have the greatest impact on inflation,” says the report of the Ministry of Economy.
There is also bad news from the construction industry. The Munich Ifo institute reports about terrible mood in the housing construction industry. The business climate index fell from -19.3 points in March to -28.4 points in April. — Unstable supply chains and rising financing costs are just some of the risks that the construction industry must face at the same time, says Klaus Wohlrabe from the Ifo institute.
The situation in factories is also bleak. The Federal Statistical Office reports about a serious breakdown in energy-intensive sectorssuch as the chemical industry, metal production and processing, paper industry or glass and ceramics production. Since February 2022, production in these industries has decreased by 15.2%. In March 2026, 794,400 people still worked in these sectors – 53,200 fewer than in February 2022.
Finally, the stock market also suffered. At the close of the week, DAX lost 1%. and dropped to 24,219 points. Over 2 percent each. growth in the previous two days, that slight improvement was quickly wasted.
