Salzburg recorded the lowest unemployment rate in Austria in 2023, which was only 3.8 percent in the previous year. From the AMS to the Chamber of Labor to the Chamber of Commerce, everyone still agrees: unfilled positions are the biggest problem.
Jacqueline Beyer has a good laugh: Salzburg’s head of the employment service can look back on an unemployment rate of just 3.8 percent in 2023. Austria’s top value ahead of Tyrol (3.9%). That’s why the lady from AMS didn’t reach the end of her work. The challenges on the labor market seem to be becoming increasingly more complex. And in general: the unemployment status is a huge problem for those affected. From an economic perspective, however, the many open positions become a dilemma: “There are still more open positions in the state than people registered as unemployed,” says Bayer. And: “Of the average 10,712 unemployed people, 2,696 people already have a job confirmation. Another 2,483 people have health restrictions. The group of people who are immediately available for placement is therefore becoming smaller and smaller.” The only difference between opinions is when it comes to working hours. Based on WKS data, Peter Buchmüller even speaks of over 19,000 open positions in Salzburg. Accordingly, there are twice as many unfilled positions as there are unemployed people. “If the economy picks up again in the second half of the year, we will need even more workers,” fears the Chamber of Commerce boss. Because of demographic change – more people are retiring each year than are entering the labor market – the gap in the labor market is likely to become even larger in the medium term. What is even more annoying for Chamber of Labor President Peter Eder is that Salzburg has lost thousands of people due to moving away, but there is potential has let. Eder blames the high housing and living costs in the state as well as inadequate childcare options. There is agreement from the AK to the WKS about the many measures to attract more workers to Salzburg. Opinions only differ when it comes to working hours. Eder (AK) advocates a reduction in working hours, Buchmüller (WKS) wants more and longer hours to be worked.
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