Negative trend

More and more unemployed

More and more people are applying to the AMS.

(Bild: Karl Schöndorfer TOPPRESS)

Both the construction sector and industry saw a drastic increase in job seekers in February - a consequence of the nationwide recession.

Observers of the economic situation predicted it many months ago, but now it can no longer be denied: the rise in unemployment figures. The developments are currently drastic in the construction industry: the ever-increasing gaps in the order books are having consequences. As a result, the number of unemployed rose by 28.2 percent compared to the same month last year.

Job hunting is getting tougher again
The situation is not much better in the metal and electrical professions: An increase of 24.6 percent to a total of 750 people was registered here. But it is not just these two sectors that are affected; in general, the labor market is becoming tougher again for people looking for a job.

The challenges in industry and the construction sector are leading to a disproportionate increase in unemployment.

Bernhard Bereuter, AMS

Bild: lisamathis.at

As Bernhard Bereuter, Managing Director of the Vorarlberg Public Employment Service (AMS), explained on Friday, exactly 10,165 people were registered as unemployed in Vorarlberg at the end of February. This corresponds to an increase of 1313 people or 14.8 percent compared to the previous year.

The unemployment rate thus stands at 5.5 percent and is the fourth lowest in the federal states. The Austrian-wide rate currently stands at 7.6 percent. Despite the gloomy outlook, there are also positive things to report: Although jobs are being lost in construction and industry, there is growth in other areas, such as the healthcare sector (+97 jobs) and tourism (+57 jobs).