VIENNA, May 4, 2026 Austria unemployment rises women affected most
Austria's unemployment rate climbed to 7.5% in April, with women bearing the brunt of job losses amid sector-specific declines, according to official data released Tuesday.
Rising Unemployment and Gender Disparity
The number of unemployed people in Austria increased by 1.5% in April, reaching 398,342 individuals registered as jobless or in training programs. The national unemployment rate rose by 0.1 percentage points to 7.5%, marking a concerning trend for the labor market.
Women accounted for nearly all of the increase, with a 4.9% rise in female unemployment, while the number of unemployed men actually decreased by 1.6%. AMS chief Johannes Kopf attributed the disparity to struggles in female-dominated sectors: "Während der Bau rückläufige Arbeitslosenzahlen aufweist und auch die Industriearbeitslosigkeit sich weitestgehend stabilisiert hat, steigt die Arbeitslosigkeit im Handel und im Gesundheits- und Sozialwesen, also in zwei Bereichen, in denen überwiegend Frauen beschäftigt sind, noch deutlich" ("While construction shows declining unemployment figures and industrial unemployment has largely stabilized, unemployment in trade and in health and social services - two sectors where predominantly women are employed - is still rising significantly").