According to Statistics Austria, the number of job vacancies in the country reached 196,400 in the first quarter of 2024, marking an 8.5% increase compared to the previous quarter. Tobias Thomas, Director General of Statistics Austria, commented on the data, stating, “More jobs are currently being advertised than at the end of 2023. By far the most job offers were in the service sector.”

Despite this quarterly increase, the number of vacancies remains significantly lower compared to the high figures at the beginning of 2022 and 2023. The current figure represents a 13.1% decrease compared to Q1 2022 and a 14.0% decrease compared to Q1 2023. However, the number of job vacancies is still higher than the pre-pandemic levels, showing a resilient job market in the longer term.

Breaking down the figures by sector, the service sector continues to lead with 113,200 job vacancies. This is followed by the manufacturing sector with 46,100 vacancies and the public sector with 37,100 vacancies. The public sector, in particular, saw a significant increase of 19.7% compared to the previous quarter, highlighting a growing demand for public service roles.

Job Vacancies For The Past Ten Years

The data shows a generally increasing trend over the past decade. Starting at 67.8 thousand vacancies in 2014, the numbers rose steadily, peaking at 230.4 thousand in 2022. There was a notable decrease in 2020, likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with vacancies dropping to 111.6 thousand. However, the upward trend resumed in the following years, reaching 206.4 thousand in 2023.