Austria will likely see thousands of new jobs being created in 2026, driven by retirements, demographic change, and increased public investment. Even if some sectors continue to shrink slowly due to automation and restructuring, others are actively struggling to find staff.
Public services, healthcare, transport, and green industries are all expected to hire heavily in the coming year. Here’s where most of the new jobs are expected to come from.
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Healthcare, care work and childcare
Healthcare and care services are set to remain among Austria’s fastest-growing employment sectors in 2026. The main reason is simple: the population is ageing, and demand for care is rising quickly.
A WIFO study estimates that Austria will require approximately 24,000 additional elderly care workers and 14,000 additional kindergarten teachers by 2030. Governments at the federal and provincial levels have already responded by expanding training places and recruitment programmes.
Several provinces have announced hiring plans. Styria, for example, said it would recruit additional hospital doctors for rural regions. Vienna has also expanded its training capacity for childcare staff, but shortages are still a daily reality in many kindergartens.
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Railways and transport
Austria’s national rail operator ÖBB is entering one of the largest recruitment phases in its history. With around 9,000 employees expected to retire by 2030, the company needs to hire more than 4,000 new workers per year on average, according to RailFreight.com.
ÖBB hired more than 6,000 employees in 2024 alone and is particularly seeking technicians, drivers, and maintenance staff. To attract applicants, the company is offering training bonuses, travel discounts and company housing.
Recruitment from abroad has already begun and is expected to continue, even though trade unions have raised concerns about training capacity and working conditions.
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Tourism and seasonal work
Austria’s tourism industry continues to add jobs as visitor numbers remain high, especially in Alpine regions. To keep hotels and restaurants running, the government has increased seasonal work quotas.
According to the Federal Ministry for Tourism, 5,500 seasonal permits will be available for the 2025/2026 season, along with a separate quota of 2,500 places for workers from the Western Balkans. During peak periods, more than 10,000 seasonal jobs may be filled.
That means continued job creation in hospitality and catering, even if much of the work remains seasonal and physically demanding.
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Startups and tech: selective growth, not a hiring boom
Austria’s startup scene is not seeing explosive growth, but it is still creating new jobs, particularly in Vienna.
According to the Austrian Startup Monitor, more than 80 percent of startups plan to expand, which often comes with new roles in software development, sales and customer support.
Investment levels are lower than in previous boom years, but sectors such as fintech, climate tech and artificial intelligence continue to grow. Hiring in 2026 is expected to focus on specialised roles rather than large teams.
Police and public security
One of the clearest sources of new jobs in 2026 will be the police force. Large numbers of officers from the baby-boomer generation are reaching retirement age, and those positions need to be filled.
According to the Interior Ministry, 1,400 new police cadets will be accepted across Austria in 2026, mainly in Vienna, Lower Austria, Upper Austria and Tyrol, as reported by ORF Lower Austria.
At the same time, around 1,900 trainees are expected to finish their education next year and begin active service.
The aim is not to expand the police force further, but to keep staffing at its current record level of around 32,500 officers. Vienna faces particularly high demand due to the number of expected retirements.
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Renewable energy and green jobs
Austria’s push towards renewable energy is another major driver of job creation. Employment is expected to grow in many areas, including planning, construction, maintenance and administration.
According to figures cited by Energy News Magazine, implementing the Renewable Energy Expansion Act will require around 254,000 full-time equivalents by 2032. Photovoltaics, hydropower and wind energy account for the largest shares.
The biggest bottleneck remains technical staff.
Electricians and electrical engineers are particularly hard to find, and experts warn that labour shortages could slow expansion unless training and retraining efforts are stepped up. At the same time, the sector is also creating jobs in sales, controlling, and public administration linked to energy projects.
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Key vocabulary
die Pensionierungswelle - the large wave of retirements as baby boomers leave the workforce
der Fachkräftemangel - shortage of skilled workers
die Energiewende - the transition to renewable and sustainable energy
die Saisonarbeit - temporary or seasonal employment
die Pflege - care work, especially for the elderly or sick
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