(Bloomberg) -- German unemployment unexpectedly rose, snapping 15 straight months of decline as refugees from the war in Ukraine were included in those searching for work.

Joblessness jumped by 133,000 in June, lifting the jobless rate to 5.3% -- the highest since November. Economists had estimated a drop of 5,000. 

“The labor market as a whole continues to be stable,” Federal Labor Agency chief Detlef Scheele said Thursday in a statement. “These increases are due to the fact that the Ukrainian refugees are now being recorded in the job centers and are therefore visible in the labor market statistics.”

Refugees fleeing Russia’s invasion could end up boosting the euro area’s active labor force by up to 1.3 million people, the European Central Bank predicted this month. Researchers explained, however, that the region’s rapidly aging population and staff shortages could simplify integration into the workforce.

While labor in Germany remains in demand for now, overall momentum is suffering on the back of soaring prices and supply bottlenecks that were worsened by Russia’s attack. A post-lockdown rebound in services helped, but recent business surveys signal activity across the board is cooling.

As a result, job growth is also starting to slow, a gauge by S&P Global showed, indicating firms are reassessing their staffing needs amid the grim outlook. 

Germany’s Bundesbank, meanwhile, said in its latest monthly report that employers in numerous industries are still struggling to find qualified workers, but noted that employment growth is slowing.

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