Reuters first to report drop in Germany’s jobless total

Reuters was first to report new figures from Germany’s unemployment agency on March 31 showing the adjusted jobless total in that month unexpectedly fell by 31,000, posting its biggest drop since June 2008, in contrast to economists’ expectations for a rise. A Berlin bureau correspondent tapped a source familiar with the official data to give Reuters the news five minutes before the official announcement, when other media reported it. The data, which suggested Germany’s economy was resuming its recovery after growth stalled during the winter, helped to cause a rise by the euro of more than 1 U.S. cent during the day.