BERLIN (Reuters) – German unemployment fell in November, data showed on Friday, suggesting the labour market in Europe’s largest economy is holding up despite weakness in the manufacturing sector.

Data from the Federal Labour Office showed the number of people out of work fell by 16,000 to 2.266 million in seasonally adjusted terms. That compared with the Reuters consensus forecast for a rise of 5,000, and was the biggest fall since February.

The jobless rate held steady at 5.0% – slightly above the record-low of 4.9% reached earlier this year.

“The current economic weakness is still noticeable in the labour market. All in all, however, it remains robust,” said Labour Office head Detlef Scheele.