Abstract: The present invention relates to a wire electrode for spark-erosion cutting having a core (2), which contains a metal or a metal alloy, and a covering layer (3), surrounding the core (2), which comprises regions the morphology of which corresponds to block-like particles, which are spatially separated, at least over a portion of their circumference, from each other and/or the core material by cracks, characterized in that, viewed in a wire cross section perpendicular or parallel to the wire longitudinal axis, the portion amounting to more than 50% of the surface area of a region with the morphology of a block-like particle contains a copper-zinc alloy with a zinc concentration of 58.5-67 wt.