German exports plunged by 28.7% in the year to April 2009, figures from the national statistics office Destatis, showed today. Exports decreased by 4.8% and imports by 5.8% in the month of April - -  the trade surplus fell 50% to €9.4 billion. Separately, Destatis reported today, that employers in industry and in the entire service sector paid a seasonally-adjusted 5.8% more for one hour worked in the first quarter of 2009 than in the first quarter of 2008. That is the highest increase since the labour cost index time series began to be calculated in 1997. Compared with one quarter earlier, labour costs were up a seasonally and calendar-adjusted 1.7%.