Rising unemployment: Wiener Neustadt sees challenging times

Rising unemployment: Wiener Neustadt sees challenging times

Unemployment in the Wiener Neustadt region has reached a new high that is worrying. As of the end of September, almost 5,400 people were registered with the Employment Service (AMS), which corresponds to an increase of 5.6 percent compared to the previous year. This puts the unemployment rate in the city and district at an alarming eight percent. For comparison: the average value in Lower Austria is 6.2 percent, which makes it clear that the situation in Wiener Neustadt is particularly critical.

A look at the sectors makes the increase even clearer. The construction industry is particularly affected, where unemployment has risen by 28 percent. We also recorded an increase of 19 percent in production and transport. Trading is also showing negative trends, with an increase of six percent. These alarming figures are a direct result of the economic challenges that Austria continues to suffer from. Mevlüt Kücükyasar, head of the AMS office in Wiener Neustadt, explains: "The increase in unemployment is a result of the economically challenging environment. Austria is still clearly in recession."

Challenges and measures

The humanitarian and professional situation of many people in the region is therefore significantly affected. The AMS office is trying to counteract this tendency. Kücükyasar emphasizes that the demand for skilled workers remains high and will continue to increase in the coming years. “Our main task is to build bridges between job seekers and companies in order to enable sustainable employment to as many people as possible,” he explains. Those responsible rely on funding and further training opportunities in order to improve the opportunities of job seekers on the market.

Despite the increased number of unemployed, there was a positive aspect in the first three quarters of 2024: 5,500 job seekers were able to end their unemployment with a new job. Although this is a slight increase compared to the previous year, the question remains whether this positive development is enough to significantly reduce the previously devastated numbers.

Another problem remains the number of positions on offer. The number of positions advertised via the AMS has decreased by five percent compared to the previous year. There are currently only 1,154 vacancies on offer, which further exacerbates the already tense situation. The dynamism on the labor market remains high, but many jobs are less than deserved or do not exist at all.

More and more people are in need of support as the region slides further into economic recession. It remains to be seen how the situation will develop and whether the measures taken by the AMS can bear fruit in combating growing unemployment.