More than 37,000 benefit sanctions were issued in Austria in the first half of 2026. Why were people sanctioned and what does that mean for the unemployed on benefits?
Austria’s public employment service issued 37,354 decisions temporarily cutting unemployment benefits in the first six months of 2026, according to figures provided by the AMS to 5 Minuten.
AMS spokesman Gregor Bitschnau told the outlet that around 4.8 percent of all people affected by unemployment during the period received a temporary sanction for refusing or preventing employment, or for unjustifiably missing training.
The rules can affect both Arbeitslosengeld, Austria’s unemployment benefit, and Notstandshilfe, the longer-term assistance available after unemployment benefit runs out. The Local has previously explained who can qualify for Notstandshilfe, including foreign residents.
So when can the AMS actually stop paying you?
What happens if you refuse a job?
People receiving AMS benefits must generally be willing to take a zumutbare Beschäftigung, meaning a job considered reasonable or suitable under Austrian unemployment law.
According to the AMS rules for benefit recipients, refusing a suitable job without an accepted reason can result in six weeks without Arbeitslosengeld or Notstandshilfe.
A repeat refusal can lead to an eight-week sanction. For Arbeitslosengeld, which can last from 20 to 52 weeks depending on the case, the lost weeks also reduce the overall duration of the benefit entitlement.
The same rules can apply if someone deliberately behaves in a way intended to prevent an employer from hiring them, without an accepted reason, refuses required retraining or a labour-market reintegration programme, obstructs the success of such a programme, or fails to demonstrate sufficient efforts to find work.
What does the AMS consider a ‘reasonable’ job?
Not every job offer automatically qualifies. A suitable job must take into account a person’s physical abilities, must not endanger their health, and must allow them to meet legal caring responsibilities, according to the AMS.
The agency also takes commuting times into account. For full-time work, a daily return journey of up to three hours can be considered reasonable. The same limit can apply to part-time jobs of more than 20 hours a week, while for jobs of up to 20 hours the figure is up to two hours and 15 minutes.
Longer journeys may still be accepted in special circumstances, although the AMS says a daily commute of more than four hours won’t be justified even by such exceptions.
Pay is also a criterion, but not in the way most workers would’ve wanted. The Arbeiterkammer’s guidance says a job must at least pay the applicable collective agreement rate (so, no comparison with your previous salary is made here)
What about AMS courses and your own job search?
Being available for work involves more than responding to vacancies sent by the AMS.
The AMS may require people to attend training or reintegration programmes, but the course must be objectively effective in improving their chances in the labour market. Arbeiterkammer notes that simply believing a course is “pointless” isn’t, by itself, enough to refuse it.
The AMS can also require evidence of independent job-search efforts. Failure to make or demonstrate the agreed efforts can trigger the same six- or eight-week sanction.
Your obligations to remain available for work and to cooperate with the AMS also continue while payments are suspended (meaning you can’t use this time to go on holiday outside Austria).
Can the AMS stop benefits completely?
Yes, after repeated cases.
The AMS says that if someone refuses a suitable job for the third time within 364 days, the agency can conclude that they are no longer “willing to work” and stop their benefits indefinitely.
According to the figures reported by 5 Minuten, the AMS completely stopped or refused benefits in 885 cases during the first half of 2026.
READ ALSO: Are foreigners in Austria entitled to receive long-term unemployment benefits?
Do you remain insured during a sanction?
The AMS says recipients remain covered by health insurance during the period in which their Arbeitslosengeld or Notstandshilfe is suspended.
Can you challenge the decision?
The AMS must issue a formal decision, known as a Bescheid, when it imposes a benefit sanction.
You can file a complaint with the regional AMS office that issued the decision. The AMS says the deadline is four weeks from the date the decision is served.
Key vocabulary
Arbeitslosengeld – unemployment benefit
Notstandshilfe – longer-term unemployment assistance
zumutbare Beschäftigung – suitable or reasonable employment
Bescheid – formal administrative decision
Beschwerde – complaint or appeal against an administrative decision