German employment hit its highest level in 25 years at the end of 2014 as a pickup in Europe's biggest economy helped to drive hiring, dpa reported. The number of people employed rose to more than 43 million in the three months ended December - a rise of 0.4 per cent when compared with the third quarter, the statistics office said. Employment now stands at its highest level since German unification in 1990. The statistics office said the gain in employment "was mainly due to the growth in the service sector." After a bout of weakness in the middle of last year, the German economy has gained momentum to grow by a stronger-than-forecast 0.7 per cent in the final quarter. German unemployment dropped to its lowest level in more than 20 years in January after falling for the fourth consecutive month to a seasonally adjusted 2.84 million, the Labour Office said last month.
