Upswing in Austria Still Not in Sight

Almost half of the population continuously rates their financial situation as negative. Before the Corona crisis, only about 30 percent of respondents stated this, but since then – in light of various crises – about every second person expresses concern. "People in Austria are stably in a financial dilemma," summarizes Scharitzer.

Labor Market in Austria Frozen

The labor market is also said to be frozen. Although there is no great fear of losing jobs, not even one in five is considering a job change. Two years ago, it was still one in three. This apparent stability may exude security for some, but it restricts those who want to change and develop further and highlights the lack of opportunities. "Two years ago, employers still had to roll out the red carpet to find employees," now many companies, despite a shortage of skilled workers, only want to retain existing staff. Employees, in turn, prefer not to take risks in the uncertain situation. "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush," says Scharitzer.

Brief Mood High in Austria During Government Formation Has Fizzled Out

The survey also captures the sense of security and social cohesion in the country. Scharitzer sees the latter in danger. Only in March, around the announcement of the three-party coalition, did half of the respondents view social cohesion positively. In the latest survey wave in September, only a third said this again - as was the case at the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025 during efforts for a Blue-Black government. "The positive mood around the government formation has fizzled out. 2025 will not go down in history as a year of change," says Scharitzer.

"It is the crisis, it remains the crisis," says the Assistant Professor at the Institute for Marketing Management at the Vienna University of Economics and Business. Just as the fear of the Corona virus was dispelled, the Ukraine war followed, leading to energy shortages and then inflation, with the concern about the climate crisis continuing in the background. The bad mood should surprise no one. For the surveys at the end of 2024 and four times so far in 2025, 1,000 representatively selected Austrians were surveyed online (CAWI/horizoom Panel). The margin of error of the results is 3 percentage points.

(APA/Red)

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