The Austrian National Statistical Office said today, Monday, that the economic collapse caused by the outbreak of the Corona virus (Covid19-) causes more anxiety in the country than the risk of infection, while April unemployment data increased by 58% year-on-year.
The Austrian Labor Market Agency stated that in light of the closure of the retail and tourism industries, factories, restaurants and cultural institutions in the middle of the closure process last month, the number of unemployed workers reached a record number of about 571 thousand people.
This equals 12.8% unemployment, or 5.5 percentage points higher compared to March.
A survey by the Statistics Office showed that one in every ten Austrians was concerned about the personal financial problems caused by the pandemic.
And only 7% are afraid to contract corona.
Since late March, the number of new daily infections has dropped sharply, from hundreds to a few dozen.
Austria was among the first countries in Europe to impose strict closures in mid-March. Shops have gradually reopened since mid-April, and a first wave of students returned to classes on Monday.
The situation in Austria´s large tourism industry remains bleak, as it depends on German visitors who are expected to stay away this summer.
