At the end of April there were 11.1 percent more people without a job compared to the same month last year. When unemployed people and AMS training participants were combined, 367,847 people (+36,691) were unemployed.
The unemployment rate increased by 0.6 percentage points to 6.8 percent. Unemployment has been rising since April 2023. There was a particularly strong increase in unemployed people and training participants year-on-year in Upper Austria (+17.5 percent), Styria (+13.3 percent) and Salzburg (+11.3 percent). Unemployment increased in all federal states.
“Economically challenging environment”
“The current higher unemployment is primarily a result of the continuing challenging economic environment,” said Labor Minister Martin Kocher (ÖVP) on Thursday at a press conference in Vienna. What is “particularly positive” is that the number of people still employed in the labor market is “still very high” at 3.92 million and is 1,000 people higher than in the same month last year. “The first indicators point to an economic recovery, which will also be noticeable on the labor market with a slight delay,” said Kocher.
- Video: Unemployment rose 11 percent in April
The weak economic development in Austria is also noticeable on the job market. At the end of April, the labor market service reported almost 94,000 vacancies as immediately available, a decrease of around 18 percent compared to the same month last year. The renewed decline in vacancies is “a further indication of a recovery that is not yet imminent,” said AMS board member Petra Draxl.
