Skill Shortage in Austria: The Current Numbers

How significant is the shortage really?

The WKÖ Labor Force Radar 2025 (conducted by the Institute for Educational Research of the Economy, as of August 2025) is the most comprehensive survey on this topic in Austria. The key finding: 78% of the companies surveyed cannot find sufficient suitable personnel.

• 53.5% of companies feel the shortage strongly to very strongly.
• At the same time, over 375,000 people are registered as unemployed—the shortage is therefore primarily a skills and matching issue, not merely a matter of numbers.
• The Court of Audit quantified the shortage in its stocktaking (2024) across industries and qualification levels.

Which industries and professions are most affected?

The shortage is unevenly distributed. Particularly strained are personal and technical industries.

• Tourism: 88.8% of companies report staffing shortfalls—the highest figure.
• Industry: around half of the companies are affected (48.1% strongly).
• Most common shortage professions according to mentions: chefs, sales staff, drivers, electrical/energy technicians, restaurant specialists, and IT specialists.

What the shortage costs companies

Unfilled positions do not go without consequences—they slow down revenue, innovation, and growth.

• 57% of companies have to decline or reduce orders.
• 47.5% slow down innovations due to lack of personnel.
• 27.2% even see themselves as existentially threatened.

What helps against the shortage

In this supply-demand scenario, the classic job ad is no longer enough. Effective measures include active, direct engagement with passive candidates, a credible employer brand, short selection processes, and retaining existing employees.