"Demand Is Picking Up"

More Unemployed, but Also More Job Openings

There are currently nearly 21,000 job openings in Upper Austria (stock photo).(Bild: Zivica Kerkez)

Unemployment in Upper Austria is rising again, increasing by 4.1 percent in August to 19,800 people. The number of women seeking work, in particular, has gone up. However, the number of job openings has also increased.

The bad news: After a slight improvement in previous months, unemployment in Upper Austria is rising sharply again, by 4.1 percent to 19,800 job seekers. This results in an unemployment rate of 5.3 percent—still the third-lowest among all federal states. Nationwide, the unemployment rate stands at 7.2 percent.

Unemployment rose sharply in Upper Austria in August, particularly among women, with an increase of 7.3 percent. Among men, there was an increase of “only” one percent.

“Demand from Businesses Is Picking Up”
But there is also good news: “Demand from businesses is picking up noticeably,” says Iris Schmidt, regional director of the Upper Austrian Public Employment Service (AMS). The number of job openings rose by 7.3 percent to around 20,750. “This creates greater opportunities for people with low qualifications or technical degrees. This applies in particular to the temporary staffing, manufacturing, construction, and skilled trades sectors,” explains Schmidt.

Significant Differences Between Districts
Long-term unemployment remains a problem—it rose sharply again in August, by 17.3 percent, to 11,560 people affected. The statutory cities of Steyr (7.9%), Linz (7.5%), and Wels (7.3%) traditionally have the highest unemployment rates. The districts of Rohrbach (2.7%), Freistadt (3.2%), and Eferding (3.3%) have the lowest rates.