Unemployment Continues to Rise: Nearly 400,000 People Without Jobs in November

In November, the situation in the labor market did not ease. According to the Public Employment Service (AMS), at the end of the month, 399,199 people were unemployed or in training, an increase of 4.0 percent or 15,236 people compared to the previous year. This marks the 32nd consecutive increase since April 2023. The unemployment rate rose by 0.3 percentage points to 7.5 percent in November.

Unemployment: Only Slight Signs of Relief in the Labor Market

A quick improvement is not in sight: "First indications of the announced recovery in 2026, such as the slightly declining unemployment in temporary employment, are already noticeable (with a lot of goodwill and a magnifying glass), but still so minor that they suggest a manageable revival rather than strong economic growth in the new year," commented AMS board member Johannes Kopf.

Lower Austria and Styria More Affected by Rising Unemployment

The federal states of Lower Austria (up 6.9 percent) and Styria (5.7 percent) were particularly affected by the renewed increase, where companies like voestalpine or Wollsdorf Leather recently announced job cuts. The numbers also rose relatively strongly in Burgenland (up 4.9 percent) and Tyrol (up 4 percent), less so in Upper Austria (up 3.9 percent), Salzburg (up 3.7 percent), Vorarlberg (up 3.3 percent), and Vienna (up 3 percent). As in the previous month, Carinthia stood out positively, with only a 0.7 percent increase - that is 144 people.

By sector, the AMS reported the strongest increases in health and social services with 16.8 percent, in trade with 7.4 percent, in transport and storage with 6.7 percent, and in goods production or industry with 5.2 percent. Unemployment among women rose sharply again, with an increase of 6.2 percent noticeably higher than that for men (up 2.1 percent). "We know that the labor market situation for women is particularly difficult in some areas. That is precisely why targeted measures and real support are needed. The AMS provides around 670 million euros for this every year," said Labor and Social Minister Korinna Schumann (SPÖ) according to a ministry statement.

A trend also continued in the number of reported job vacancies, which fell by 13.2 percent to 71,933 at the end of November compared to the previous year. A similar development is observed in apprenticeships, whose number decreased by 17.3 percent compared to the previous year.

Winter Likely to Reduce Unemployment in Tourism

According to the AMS, the winter will typically reduce unemployment in tourism, but increase it in construction and agriculture, thereby fueling overall unemployment. After that, the number of job seekers registered with the AMS is expected to decline again. The early Easter date will likely have at least a positive impact on the March unemployment figures, Kopf noted.

(APA/Red)

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