Recruitment patterns among Upper Austrian SMEs during the recession

The recession of recent years is evident in the unemployment statistics for (Upper) Austria. Following a comparatively moderate rise in the unemployment rate in 2023, Upper Austria saw a double-digit percentage increase in 2024 and 2025. Although there was a slight fall in the unemployment rate at the start of 2026, the labour market situation in Upper Austria remains tense nonetheless. Looking specifically at developments in the Upper Austrian labour market across different groups, one observation is an increase in the unemployment rate amongst people with medium and higher levels of education. This means that companies looking to recruit now have a larger pool of qualified candidates at their disposal. This raises the question of whether and to what extent these changed labour market conditions have been reflected in the recruitment behaviour of Upper Austrian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and how the AMS can respond effectively. The planned research project will now seek to answer the question of what implications the changed labour market situation may have had for Upper Austrian SMEs.

An additional study of recruitment behaviour during an economic boom will serve as a point of comparison. Furthermore, the study aims to examine the motives and perspectives that shape SMEs’ recruitment behaviour under the current labour market conditions.