Job agency site down since 1 October: register in person
The Federal Employment Agency (Bundesagentur für Arbeit) has confirmed a technical disruption that has knocked out large parts of its online services since 1 October. On Friday evening, 2 October, the agency's homepage still carried a notice saying its online offers are restricted and that staff are working flat out on a fix. The agency says the cause appears to be internal, but it has not ruled out outside interference.
The outage hits people at the worst possible moment. Anyone who became unemployed on 1 October, or whose job ends in the coming days, needs to register as unemployed, and that is normally done online. Users also report that they cannot submit applications for unemployment benefit (Arbeitslosengeld) or basic income support (Grundsicherungsgeld) through the website, and cannot reach their account data.
What matters most is the date. Unemployment benefit is generally paid only from the day you register as unemployed, so waiting for the website to come back can cost you money for the days in between. People who already receive basic income support and need to renew or update their claim may also face delays.
What you should do now: if you need to register as unemployed or file an urgent application, do not wait for the portal. Go in person to your local employment agency office (Agentur für Arbeit), or contact it directly by phone. Take your ID and any letters from your employer. If you tried online, take screenshots of the error messages showing the date and time, so you can prove you tried to meet the deadline. Check the agency's homepage for the all clear before switching back to online services.