At the end of July 2024, the German economy looks like this: gross domestic product fell slightly in the second quarter (-0.1%), and the number of unemployed rose more sharply in July than usual at the start of the summer break (+192,000 compared to the previous year) as a result of the weak economy. At the same time, inflation rose by 2.3% in July compared to the same month last year. We discuss the implications with Professor Dr. Oliver Holtemöller, Deputy President of the Halle Institute for Economic Research (IWH) and Head of the Macroeconomics Department there.