Today in Austria: A roundup of the latest news on Wednesday
Fewer job vacancies posted in 2023, Austria approves aid package totalling €10m for Gaza, inflation at 4.5 percent in January 2024 and more news from Austria on Wednesday.
Fewer job vacancies posted in 2023
According to Statistics Austria, Austrian companies reported an average of 206,400 job vacancies in 2023. This is 10.4 percent fewer than in 2022 but significantly more than in previous years.
“In 2023, an average of 206,400 jobs were unfilled. Although this is 24,000 fewer than in 2022, when there were more vacancies than at any time since records began, it is still significantly more than in previous years. Workers in the service sector and sales staff were particularly in demand, accounting for more than a fifth of all unfilled jobs. We can also see from the job vacancy rate that there is a labour shortage: of all available jobs, the proportion of vacancies fell from 5.3 percent to 4.7 percent in 2023, but remains at a high level,” says Tobias Thomas, Director General of Statistics Austria.
On average, for 2023, the total number of vacancies fell by 10.4 percent compared to 2022. The decline was particularly significant in the service sector (−10.9 percent) and in the manufacturing sector (−18.7 percent), while more jobs were advertised in the public sector than in 2022 (+7.9 percent).
Most job vacancies were in the service sector at 122,700, followed by 4,600 in the manufacturing sector and 34,200 in the public sector. Service occupations and salespeople accounted for 23.9 percent of all vacancies.
EXPLAINED: What is a Wahlartzt in Austria?
Going to a Wahlarzt, or an 'elective doctor', comes with a higher price but can also provide benefits. What are the differences between a public and elective doctor, and how can you get costs refunded if you choose a Wahlarzt in Austria?
Austria approves aid package totalling €10m for Gaza
On Wednesday, the Austrian Federal Government will approve an aid package totalling €10m for the people in the Gaza Strip. As Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) said on Tuesday evening in Jerusalem, €5m of this will go to the Red Crescent, €3m to the UN Children's Fund Unicef and €2m to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Following meetings in Jerusalem on Wednesday, Schallenberg will also travel to Ramallah in the West Bank. The money comes from the Foreign Disaster Relief Fund. This brings the total amount provided by Austria for Palestinians in need since October 7th to €23m.
Inflation at 4.5 percent in January 2024
According to Statistics Austria, the consumer price index stood at 122.4 points in January 2024. This means that consumer prices were 4.5 percent above the level of January 2023. Compared to the previous month of December 2023, the average price level decreased by 0.2 percent. The index level of the harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP 2015) was 132.61 in January 2024, with a harmonised inflation rate of 4.3 percent.
“At the start of 2024, inflation in Austria fell to its lowest level since December 2021. The decline to 4.5 percent is mainly due to the year-on-year fall in household energy prices. Electricity prices, in particular, which had risen significantly a year ago due to massively increased network costs, had a dampening effect on prices in January 2024. In addition, prices in many other areas, such as fuel, no longer rose as sharply as in the previous months. However, there were still significant price increases for restaurants and hotels,” says Tobias Thomas, Director General of Statistics Austria.
Price observations showed higher prices for restaurants and hotels (+9.1 percent compared to January 2023; restaurants +9.2 percent, hotels +9.4 percent), followed by housing, water and energy (+4.2 percent; rents +9.1 percent, maintenance and repair of the dwelling +5.4 percent, electricity, gas and other fuels −5.4 percent, including solid fuels −23.6 percent, district heat −12.7 percent, electricity −4.5 percent, heating oil −10.3 percent, gas +12.8 percent).
The third strongest price driver was food and non-alcoholic beverages (+5.4 percent; food +4.7 percent, non-alcoholic beverages +11.0 percent), followed by recreation and culture (+5.3 percent; package holidays +10.3 percent, recreational and cultural services +2.7 percent), Transport showed a price increase of 0.3 percent (maintenance and repair of personal transport equipment +7.9 percent, fuels −4.2 percent, used cars −4.7 percent).
If you have any questions about life in Austria, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected] or leave a comment below.
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Fewer job vacancies posted in 2023
According to Statistics Austria, Austrian companies reported an average of 206,400 job vacancies in 2023. This is 10.4 percent fewer than in 2022 but significantly more than in previous years.
“In 2023, an average of 206,400 jobs were unfilled. Although this is 24,000 fewer than in 2022, when there were more vacancies than at any time since records began, it is still significantly more than in previous years. Workers in the service sector and sales staff were particularly in demand, accounting for more than a fifth of all unfilled jobs. We can also see from the job vacancy rate that there is a labour shortage: of all available jobs, the proportion of vacancies fell from 5.3 percent to 4.7 percent in 2023, but remains at a high level,” says Tobias Thomas, Director General of Statistics Austria.
On average, for 2023, the total number of vacancies fell by 10.4 percent compared to 2022. The decline was particularly significant in the service sector (−10.9 percent) and in the manufacturing sector (−18.7 percent), while more jobs were advertised in the public sector than in 2022 (+7.9 percent).
Most job vacancies were in the service sector at 122,700, followed by 4,600 in the manufacturing sector and 34,200 in the public sector. Service occupations and salespeople accounted for 23.9 percent of all vacancies.
EXPLAINED: What is a Wahlartzt in Austria?
Going to a Wahlarzt, or an 'elective doctor', comes with a higher price but can also provide benefits. What are the differences between a public and elective doctor, and how can you get costs refunded if you choose a Wahlarzt in Austria?
Austria approves aid package totalling €10m for Gaza
On Wednesday, the Austrian Federal Government will approve an aid package totalling €10m for the people in the Gaza Strip. As Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg (ÖVP) said on Tuesday evening in Jerusalem, €5m of this will go to the Red Crescent, €3m to the UN Children's Fund Unicef and €2m to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Following meetings in Jerusalem on Wednesday, Schallenberg will also travel to Ramallah in the West Bank. The money comes from the Foreign Disaster Relief Fund. This brings the total amount provided by Austria for Palestinians in need since October 7th to €23m.
Inflation at 4.5 percent in January 2024
According to Statistics Austria, the consumer price index stood at 122.4 points in January 2024. This means that consumer prices were 4.5 percent above the level of January 2023. Compared to the previous month of December 2023, the average price level decreased by 0.2 percent. The index level of the harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP 2015) was 132.61 in January 2024, with a harmonised inflation rate of 4.3 percent.
“At the start of 2024, inflation in Austria fell to its lowest level since December 2021. The decline to 4.5 percent is mainly due to the year-on-year fall in household energy prices. Electricity prices, in particular, which had risen significantly a year ago due to massively increased network costs, had a dampening effect on prices in January 2024. In addition, prices in many other areas, such as fuel, no longer rose as sharply as in the previous months. However, there were still significant price increases for restaurants and hotels,” says Tobias Thomas, Director General of Statistics Austria.
Price observations showed higher prices for restaurants and hotels (+9.1 percent compared to January 2023; restaurants +9.2 percent, hotels +9.4 percent), followed by housing, water and energy (+4.2 percent; rents +9.1 percent, maintenance and repair of the dwelling +5.4 percent, electricity, gas and other fuels −5.4 percent, including solid fuels −23.6 percent, district heat −12.7 percent, electricity −4.5 percent, heating oil −10.3 percent, gas +12.8 percent).
The third strongest price driver was food and non-alcoholic beverages (+5.4 percent; food +4.7 percent, non-alcoholic beverages +11.0 percent), followed by recreation and culture (+5.3 percent; package holidays +10.3 percent, recreational and cultural services +2.7 percent), Transport showed a price increase of 0.3 percent (maintenance and repair of personal transport equipment +7.9 percent, fuels −4.2 percent, used cars −4.7 percent).
If you have any questions about life in Austria, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected] or leave a comment below.
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