The unemployed are facing new rules from AMS with a strict deadline.
The Vienna Labor Market Authority (AMS Wien - Austrian Labor Market Authority) issued an urgent warning to unemployed individuals, urging them to adhere to important deadlines before the end of January to avoid losing financial assistance, despite a cautiously optimistic outlook for 2026.
In December 2025, AMS Wien recorded about 140,436 unemployed persons, an increase of 3.9% compared to the previous year. In contrast, the number of participants in AMS-supported training programs decreased by 8.9% to 31,967 individuals. The total of both groups together rose slightly by only 1.2%, the best level since spring 2023.
The number of unemployed or training participants over the age of fifty increased by 4.6%, while the number of those under 25 decreased by 1.6%. At the sector level, unemployment in the trade sector rose by 6.2%, in the hotels and restaurants sector by 5.7%, and in goods production by 3.2%. The construction sector was the only one that recorded a slight improvement with a decrease of 0.4%.
The Deputy Director of AMS Wien, Katharina Lugger, described these figures as a justification for 'cautious optimism' regarding the year 2026. She noted that youth unemployment often reflects early economic indicators, emphasizing that the economy of Vienna continues to experience stable growth. She also reported that Viennese companies reported a 12.2% increase in new job opportunities in December 2025 compared to the same month in 2024.
At the same time, AMS Wien highlighted important changes that came into effect at the beginning of the year. The previous educational leave has been replaced by what is known as the continuous education allowance, which is more closely linked to labor market objectives and requires greater participation from AMS Wien, with applications starting from June.
As Logger warned about tightening the rules regarding marginal work alongside unemployment benefits or emergency assistance. This option has largely been eliminated, and anyone not falling under legal exceptions is required to end this type of work by the end of January, otherwise they risk losing the cash assistance provided by AMS.