Austrian unemployment climbs to almost 500,000 in January
Xinhua, February 2, 2016 Adjust font size:
Austria has seen a renewed increase in its unemployment rate for the month of January, the 0.3 percent increase meaning 10.9 percent or 490,246 people in the country are presently without work.
Measured year-on-year the increase is an even more significant 3.7 percent, it was stated in figures provided by the Social Affairs ministry and the Public Employment Service Austria (AMS) on Monday.
In keeping with a persistent trend, unemployment among foreign nationals again saw a significant increase, rising 10.1 percent to 119,088 persons, while the bracket for persons aged 50 and over also saw a high 8.2 percent increase.
The national capital of Vienna was also again worst-effected, seeing a 9.9 percent increase in jobless figures to reach 141,718 persons.
New Minister of Social Affairs Alois Stoeger said in a press release concerning the figures that while no turnaround to the persistent increases in unemployment is apparent, some signs of economic recovery are visible.
He added however that significantly more growth impulses would be needed, particularly on the European level, to see a change in the unemployment trend. Endit