According to the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKÖ), whose Wirtschaftsbarometer surveyed more than 4,300 companies in May and June 2026, expectations for orders, revenue and employment have improved markedly across the economy. As Salzburg24 reported on 15 July 2026, nearly every key area shows a genuine turnaround compared with previous survey waves.
The headline figures point upward. One in five companies now expects a better order situation over the next twelve months, the best reading since the winter 2021 survey. More than a third of firms forecast rising revenue, while only 21% expect a decline, and capacity utilisation is recovering alongside firmer staffing plans. Manufacturing led the improvement, with the WKÖ noting massively improved order expectations in manufacturing and trades, while trade and services also advanced, particularly in jobs and planned investment.
Construction is the exception. Per the WKÖ data, the construction industry remains completely cut off from the positive mood, recording negative expectation values in every surveyed area. Investment appetite economy-wide also lags the broader upturn: around 23% of firms plan to expand their investment volume, while more than a third expect a decrease, according to the WKÖ statement. Where spending does occur, it is largely defensive, as money is put to use almost exclusively to replace old machinery or equipment, and nearly a quarter of firms plan no investment at all next year. Barriers cited by respondents in a related WKÖ release included general economic uncertainty, weak sales and market outlooks, and unclear political and regulatory conditions, as reported by the Salzburger Nachrichten citing the same survey.
For the construction sector, this is a lead indicator worth watching closely. While order and employment expectations are turning positive across manufacturing, trade and services, builders report negative sentiment on every single metric tracked, from order books to staffing to investment. With replacement spending dominating what little capital expenditure firms plan, the pipeline of new construction activity shows no sign of a near-term rebound, even as the rest of the Austrian economy regains confidence.