Job market compass: Is security becoming more important than the next career leap?

Job security is regaining prominence in Austria, potentially eclipsing the drive for rapid career progression. Recent data from the Arbeitsmarkt-Kompass indicates that only 44% of employed individuals find it easy to secure new positions. Concurrently, the inclination to switch jobs has dipped from 37% in the first quarter of 2026 to 33%, while overall job satisfaction has seen a modest rise to 84%.

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People stay where they see prospects, their performance is recognized, and they can develop. Anyone who only looks at the salary is shortsighted. The total package is decisive.

Monica Rintersbacher, CEO of Leitbetriebe Austria, which commissioned the study, noted that while higher job satisfaction is positive, it doesn't guarantee employee loyalty. "People stay where they see prospects, their performance is recognized, and they can develop," she stated. Rintersbacher emphasized that focusing solely on salary is shortsighted, and the "total package" is what truly matters. Despite this, the average expected salary increase for a job change remains at 23%.

The primary drivers for job seekers are fair salary (62%), a positive work environment (53%), and flexible working hours (42%). A significant 87% of employees are willing to work overtime if compensated fairly. Rintersbacher stressed that employee retention is not accidental but a result of consistent leadership, which includes transparent decision-making, reliability, respect, and a trust-building management style. She believes leadership is the key competitive factor, with fair pay serving as the entry ticket to workplace well-being.

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Employee retention does not happen by chance, but through consistent leadership work.

Flexibility remains a critical factor, with the preferred average workweek at 33.5 hours and an ideal home office share of 40.5%. The maximum acceptable commute is around 23 kilometers. Rintersbacher advocates for a pragmatic approach to home office policies, acknowledging that over half of all jobs cannot be done remotely. The focus, she argues, should be on which collaboration model offers the greatest added value. While personal interaction is vital for innovation and company culture, the study of 664 individuals surveyed between April and June suggests that the era of employees being constantly courted with new job offers may be waning.

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I don't think much of an ideological debate about home office. We should consider that more than half of all jobs cannot be done in a home office. Where the possibility exists, it is not about an either-or, but about the question of which form of collaboration offers the greatest added value.