VIENNA, Apr 2 (NNN-XINHUA) – The COVID-19 pandemic caused unemployment in Austria to hit a historic high since 1946, according to a leading provider of labour-market related services in the country.
Since mid-Mar, when exit restrictions were enforced in the Alpine country, to contain the virus, the Austrian Public Employment Service (AMS), saw a massive rise in unemployment to a record 504,345, which corresponds to an increase of 52.5 percent, compared to the same month the previous year, said an AMS report. Austria’s current population is more than 8.99 million, based on the latest United Nations Data.
The largest increase has been in the accommodation and catering sector, followed by the construction industry, transport and storage business, according to the report.
It estimated, the national unemployment rate at the end of Mar was 12.2 percent, an increase of 4.7 percentage points, compared to Mar, 2019.
The number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 infection in Austria increased to 10,482, as of Wednesday afternoon, with 146 deaths reported.
