9.547-265/09

Vienna, 17 December 2009 – According to Statistics Austria, the number of people in unemployment amounted to a total of 222 000 in the third quarter 2009. This was an increase of 63 000 persons in comparison with the situation in the third quarter of 2008. The unemployment rate (not seasonally adjusted) was 5.1% after 3.7% in 2008. Men were more affected by the increase of unemployment than women: Whereas the unemployment rate for men increased from 3.4% to 5.1%, the unemployment rate for women rose from 4.1% to 5.1%. Young people increasingly faced difficulties to enter the labour market. Their unemployment rate went up to 11.3% in the third quarter of 2009 after 8.2% in the same quarter of 2008.

Also the number of people in employment decreased slightly to a total of 4 119 million (4 138 million in the third quarter of 2008). However, the number of full-time jobs decreased even by 70 000 whereas the number of part-time employed increased by 51 000 compared with the third quarter of 2008. Both data on employment and unemployment are based on ILO definitions.

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