Young people are the most affected as the unemployment rate in Austria rises to 5.5%.
Unemployment rates in Austria sharply increased in the second quarter of 2025, according to new data released by Statistics Austria. A labor force survey showed that unemployment rose by 12.4% compared to the same period last year, bringing the number of unemployed to 261,100 people. The director general of the agency, Manuela Link, stated: "The Austrian labor market is in motion."
The rise in unemployment has been attributed to a weak economy. In contrast, the country saw a decrease in the number of part-time workers by 38,400 people, and an increase in full-time workers by 51,300 people. Overall, the total number of workers rose slightly by 12,900 jobs. Link pointed out that it is "notable" that older individuals continue to stay in the labor market longer, as 61% of those aged 55 to 64 are still working. However, the participation rate of older people in Austria remains below the international average.
The unemployment rate rose to 5.5%, an increase of 0.6 percentage points compared to last year, with the increase among women being slightly higher than that among men. Young people were particularly affected, as the unemployment rate among the age group of 15 to 24 years increased by 2.3 percentage points to reach 11.6%.
A clear trend has emerged in work patterns. The percentage of part-time workers has decreased to 30.9%, which is nearly a percentage point lower than last year. Among women, the part-time work rate dropped by 1.9 percentage points to 49.7%. This marks the second consecutive decline in part-time work in 2025.
At the same time, the employment rate – the percentage of workers from the total age group of 15 to 64 years – increased slightly by 0.3 percentage points to reach 74.3%. Among the notable developments is the increase in the participation of women aged 60 to 64 in the labor market by 7.2 percentage points to reach 31.4% over one year, reflecting the gradual raising of the legal retirement age.