Employer enterprise births

The highest employer enterprise birth rates for the reference year 2012 were found for the activities “Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply" (12.9%), “Human health and social work activities” (10.0%) and “Professional, scientific and technical activities” (9.2%). The lowest employer enterprise birth rates were recorded in the activities  ” Mining and quarrying” (4.2%) and “Education” (3.6%). In absolute counts the economic sectors "Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles” (3 961) and “Accommodation and food service activities” (3 090) had the most new employer enterprises.

The results by legal form show that around two thirds of employer enterprises (66.1%) were created in 2012 as a sole proprietor. 19.1% of employer enterprises were formed as a limited liability company and 14.3% as partnerships or other legal forms. Most jobs on average per enterprise were created by partnerships and other legal forms (5.6).

Regarding to the employment size classes it can be found that nearly 90% of the new employer enterprises had 1 to 4 employees. The remaining percent accounted for the size classes 5 to 9 employees (7.5%) and 10 and more employees (3.5%). The count for the active employer enterprises is also highest for the enterprises with 1 to 4 employees (65.8%).

The results according to provinces show that the employer enterprise birth rates were highest in Tyrol (8.9%), Vienna (8.1%) as well as Carinthia (8.0%) and Lower Austria (7.9%). They were below the average in Vorarlberg (6.1%), Upper Austria (7.3%), Salzburg (7.3%).

In 2012, 66.5% of the employer enterprises (sole proprietorships only) were created by men. However, the female employer enterprise birth rate (9.2%) was higher than the male one (8.6%).

Development of employer enterprise births over time (2004 to 2012) 

The absolute employer enterprise birth counts over the time period from 2004 to 2012 were not subject of large fluctuations; the number of new employer enterprises declined by 10.7%. The fewest employer enterprise births were recorded in 2009 and 2010 (18 050 and 17 640) whereas 2004 showed the highest number (20 368). Regarding the development by economic activity in this eight-year observation period, the number of employer enterprise births was growing in the following branches: “Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply” (+98.1%) and “Human health and social work activities” (+65.3%). In the economic sectors “Education” (-68.9%) and “Real estate activities” (-64.8%) employer enterprise births declined most.

An evaluation of the development by legal form illustrates that employer enterprises created as sole proprietorships declined over this time period (-8.8%), whereas the number of newly created partnerships (and other legal forms) declined very high (-24.5%). The count of enterprise birth of Limited liability companies declined not that much (-5.0).

Observing the trends by employee size class it is shown that employer enterprise births with between 1 and 4 or 5 and 9 employees slightly decreased over time (both 10%), whereas those that had from 10 and more employees fall by -25.0%.

Compared to other provinces, Carinthia (-62.9%) and Tyrol (-59.5%) recorded the highest decrease in the number of employer enterprise.

The results by gender (sole proprietorships only) show that the number of newly created sole proprietorships owned by men decreased by 10.6%. In contrast, those created by women decreased just by 4.9%.