367,847 without a job

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(Bild: P. Huber)

The weakening industrial and construction sectors continue to weigh on the domestic labor market. At the end of April, there were 11.1 percent more people without a job compared to the same month last year. Including the unemployed and AMS training participants, 367,847 people (+36,691) were out of work. The unemployment rate increased by 0.6 percentage points to 6.8 percent. Unemployment has been rising since April 2023.

Upper Austria (+17.5%), Styria (+13.3%) and Salzburg (+11.3%) saw a particularly sharp increase in the number of unemployed and training participants year-on-year.

Unemployment increased in all federal states. "The current higher unemployment rate is primarily a result of the continuing challenging economic environment," said Labor Minister Martin Kocher (ÖVP) at a press conference in Vienna on Thursday.

"Indicators of economic recovery"
However, it is "particularly positive" that the number of people still employed on the labor market is "still very high" at 3.92 million and is 1,000 people higher than in the same month last year. "Initial indicators point to an economic recovery, which will also be felt on the labor market with a slight delay," said Kocher.

The weak economic development in Austria is also making itself felt on the job market. At the end of April, just under 94,000 vacancies were registered as immediately available at the Public Employment Service, a drop of around 18 percent compared to the same month last year.

The renewed decline in vacancies is "a further indication that recovery is not yet imminent", according to AMS Director Petra Draxl.