How long Austrian unemployment benefit lasts
The four tiers of section 18 of the Unemployment Insurance Act, the qualifying period before them, and what delays, extends or cuts your claim.
Austrian unemployment benefit (Arbeitslosengeld, paid by the AMS public employment service) lasts 20 weeks in 2026 if you only just meet the qualifying period. You get 30 weeks if you worked 156 weeks in jobs covered by unemployment insurance before claiming, roughly 3 years. It rises to 39 weeks from age 40 with 312 insured weeks in the last 10 years, and to 52 weeks from age 50 with 468 weeks in the last 15 years (section 18 AlVG). Your salary does not affect the length. The qualifying period comes first: 52 weeks in 24 months for a first claim, 26 weeks in 12 months under age 25, and 28 weeks in 12 months for any later claim (section 14). Resigning blocks payment for 4 weeks but does not shorten the entitlement, and payment for unused holiday only postpones the start. AMS courses add their length on top. On a €3,000 gross salary, 39 instead of 20 weeks is worth about €6,348.
How long you receive unemployment benefit
Duration
39 weeks
| in days | 273 |
| Insured weeks | 364 |
Checked by Radif Partners · Editorial policy · Calculation method
Four tiers set by law
Only two facts decide the length: how many weeks you worked in jobs covered by unemployment insurance before claiming, and your age when you claim. Your previous salary sets the daily amount but not the duration. The tiers are in section 18 of the Unemployment Insurance Act (AlVG), and the Chamber of Labour lists them in its 2026 guide to unemployment insurance.
| Duration | days | insured weeks needed | window | age at claim |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 weeks | 140 | qualifying period met | – | – |
| 30 weeks | 210 | 156 (about 3 years) | whole career | – |
| 39 weeks | 273 | 312 (about 6 years) | last 10 years | 40+ |
| 52 weeks | 364 | 468 (about 9 years) | last 15 years | 50+ |
After completing a vocational rehabilitation programme run by social insurance, the duration rises to 78 weeks (section 18(2)(c)).
Five careers, five results
| Person | age | insured years | duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | 24 | 2 | 20 weeks |
| B | 36 | 4 | 30 weeks |
| C | 45 | 7 | 39 weeks |
| D | 45 | 5 | 30 weeks |
| E | 55 | 10 | 52 weeks |
Person D is the typical trap for people who moved to Austria mid-career: at 45 the age condition for 39 weeks is met, but 5 insured years in the ten-year window are not enough, so the claim stays at 30 weeks. Years worked abroad only help if an EU rule or a bilateral agreement brings them in.
Qualifying first, duration second
Before any duration applies you must meet the qualifying period (Anwartschaft) in section 14 AlVG. For a first claim that is 52 weeks of insured work in the last 24 months. If you claim before turning 25, 26 weeks in 12 months are enough. Every later claim needs 28 weeks in 12 months.
The two counts work differently. For qualifying, each period can be used only once: after you exhaust a claim, you need new weeks. For the duration, every countable period inside the window counts, even weeks that already supported an earlier claim. The qualifying window (Rahmenfrist) is stretched by study, military or civilian service and similar periods, usually by up to 5 years, and without limit by childcare allowance or sick pay. The 10- and 15-year windows for the longer durations cannot be stretched.
Unemployment benefit from your last salary
Daily rate
€43.61
| per month (30 days) | €1,308 |
| Basic amount 55% | €42.46 |
| Top-up | €1.15 |
What delays payment without cutting weeks
The four-week block after resigning
If the job ended because you resigned, walked out without justification or were fairly dismissed, no benefit is paid for 4 weeks. Resigning during probation counts too. These 28 days are not taken off your entitlement: with 30 weeks due, you still receive 30 weeks, just later. Mutual termination carries no block, which is worth knowing before you sign a resignation letter.
Holiday compensation on leaving
Unused leave paid out at the end of a job (Urlaubsersatzleistung) extends your insurance by those days, and the benefit is suspended (ruht) for that time. Suspended means nothing is paid, but the total stays the same. Sick pay, notice-period compensation, an unapproved stay abroad or military service also suspend the benefit. File the claim on time anyway, at the earliest 3 weeks before your last working day, because the AMS does not pay retroactively.
What adds weeks
Time on an AMS training or re-integration measure is added to your benefit period (section 18(4)). In a recognised labour foundation the extension can reach 156 weeks, and up to 209 weeks in total for longer statutory training or from age 50 (section 18(5)).
What really costs weeks
Unlike the resignation block, a loss of entitlement (Anspruchsverlust) removes weeks for good. Turning down a suitable job, showing no job search or sabotaging a course costs 6 weeks, each repeat 8 weeks. Missing an AMS appointment without good reason stops payment until you report back, with at most 62 days lost.
The duration in euros
On a €3,000 gross monthly salary the benefit is €47.73 a day. Over each tier that adds up to:
| Duration | total benefit |
|---|---|
| 20 weeks | €6,682 |
| 30 weeks | €10,023 |
| 39 weeks | €13,030 |
| 52 weeks | €17,374 |
The tier also matters afterwards. Emergency assistance (Notstandshilfe) is capped after six months if your benefit lasted only 20 or 30 weeks; after 39 or 52 weeks there is no cap. From age 45 the longest duration you were ever granted is used (section 36(5) AlVG). Work out your daily amount with the unemployment benefit calculator.