• Number of job seekers registered with Labour Offices increased in January by 16,913 to 465,458. Unemployment rate increased in line with our estimate to 7.9% from 7.7% in December.
• Germany’s foreign trade surplus increased last year to EUR 161.9bn from previous EUR 158.2bn and reached its historical maximum. Exports, compared with year 2005, grew by 13.7% and imports by 16.5%.
• Industrial production in Germany increased by 0.5% m/m in December and by 1.3% y/y respectively.
• Slovakia’s industrial production in December increased by 7.2% y/y after 9.9% growth in November. For the whole last year production volume increased by 9.8%.