Pandemic effects on regional job matching in Austria
利用2008至2024年月度行政数据，估计奥地利各联邦州的贝弗里奇曲线和匹配效率，发现疫情暂时扰乱就业匹配，但全国恢复掩盖了制造业密集地区自2014-15年起匹配效率的结构性下降，需针对性区域政策。
This paper examines labour market matching in Austria from 2008 to 2024, focusing on the regional impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using monthly administrative data, we estimate Beveridge curves and matching efficiency across federal states. The results show that while COVID-19 temporarily disrupted labour market matching, mismatch unemployment returned to pre-pandemic levels relatively quickly. However, this national recovery masks persistent regional differences. Many manufacturing-intensive regions experienced structural declines in matching efficiency starting in the 2014–15 period. These findings highlight the need for regionally targeted labour market and training policies to address lasting disparities and support post-pandemic recovery.