The level of unemployment is one of the highest throughout the German states. This reflects not only the implementation of economic reforms, but is also a reflection of investments being mainly made into highly automated industrial plants, which require much lower numbers in personnel.
In addition, demand for jobs is significantly higher in Saxony-Anhalt and the other Eastern Länder than in the Western Länder, because prior to the end of the Cold War, both women and men traditionally held jobs in the Eastern Länder. Demand for employment by women in the western Länder has not been as strong. Therefore the labour-pool in the Easter Länder is larger than in the Western Länder.
