Number of Unemployment Benefit Sanctions Rises by 4.8% in 2024

Number of Unemployment Benefit Sanctions Rises by 4.8% in 2024

APA/GEORG HOCHMUTH

The Public Employment Service (AMS) imposed more unemployment benefit sanctions last year than in 2023. Specifically, the number of sanctions rose by around 4.8 percent to 162,435, as reported by the AMS to the APA. The increase is attributed to rising unemployment figures and unchanged behavior among unemployment benefit recipients. By the end of December 2024, 426,012 people were seeking employment, 27,007 more than at the end of 2023.

According to the AMS, just over 44,200 sanctions were imposed in 2024 due to “daily absences from training” (Section 10 of the Unemployment Insurance Act/AlVG), which represents an increase of around 11.1 percent compared to 2023. Over 34,100 sanctions (an increase of 5.6 percent) resulted—also under Section 10—from “refusal or obstruction of work/training.”

Sanctions mostly for “missed” AMS appointments

By far, the most sanctions—around 52,600—were imposed by the AMS for unexcused “missed” AMS appointments under Section 49. This represented an increase of nearly 5.6 percent compared to 2023. Meanwhile, sanctions for “refusals/terminations due to lack of willingness to work” (Section 9) nearly doubled to 1,480.

Nearly 30,000 waiting periods were imposed for unemployment benefits due to self-inflicted job termination, a decrease of 6.7 percent. Fewer voluntary resignations are seen as a sign of poorer economic development, according to the AMS.

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