German unemployment topped three million in August for the first time in over a decade, official data showed Friday, in another blow to Europe's struggling top economy.

The unemployment figure rose by 46,000 month-on-month to hit 3.025 million, the federal employment agency said, the highest level since February 2015.

The country's overall unemployment rate ticked up to 6.4 percent from 6.3 percent in July.

Andrea Nahles, head of the employment agency, said the data reflected weakness among Germany's manufacturers.

"That is an important motor for the Germany economy," she said, but added the sector was currently "weakening".

Battered by high energy costs and increasingly fierce Chinese competition, German manufacturers were struggling even before US President Donald Trump erected new

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