The jobless rate, in raw or unadjusted terms, rose to 6.7 percent in December from 6.5 percent in November.

But the seasonally-adjusted jobless total -- which irons out seasonal fluctuations -- was unchanged at 6.9 percent, the Federal Labour Agency said in a statement.

In concrete terms, the jobless total rose by 3,000 on a seasonally-adjusted basis, a much smaller increase than analysts had been expecting.

In raw or unadjusted terms, the total number of people registered as unemployed in Germany jumped by 88,341 to 2.84 million in December, the agency calculated.

"The German economy is feeling the pull of the recession in Europe. Indicators suggest that gross domestic product shrank in real terms in the fourth quarter," said agency chief Frank-Juergen Weise.

"So far, the labour market has held up fairly robustly to the economic deterioration. But the slowdown is leaving its mark," Weise cautioned.