Austria youth unemployment rates vary by migration background

A research report by IHS for the Austrian Integration Fund (ÖIF) highlights significant disparities in employment and education status among youth in Austria based on their origin. The study focused on the NEET group (Not in Education, Employment or Training) consisting of individuals aged 15 to 24.

According to 2022 data from Statistics Austria, first-generation migrant youth had a NEET rate of 27.3 percent, which is more than three times higher than the 8.7 percent rate observed among youth without a migration background. Second-generation migrant youth showed a rate of 13.3 percent.

Disparities also exist within the migrant group depending on the country of origin. NEET rates vary from 16.3 percent for those born in Germany to 24.3 percent for those from the Russian Federation. Rates reach 33 percent for youth from Afghanistan and Syria, while certain other European groups, including those from Ukraine and Georgia, show rates as high as 46.6 percent.