Austria is facing a double challenge: a decline in the working-age population is expected by 2040, despite the gradual increase in the retirement age for women. Many companies, for example in the catering, nursing and trade sectors, complain about a shortage of skilled workers. At the same time, the number of unemployed people who cannot find suitable employment is increasing: in January 2026, more than 100,000 of the 363,000 unemployed people were long-term unemployed.
