Company insolvencies continue to rise strongly in Austria; in the first half of 2025 to 3,662, which corresponds to an increase of 8.9 percent compared to the previous year. This was announced by the Creditreform Economic Occupry, which analyzed the current trends in company and private bankruptcies in the 1st half of 2025.
In total, the insolvency passengers amount to around 5 billion euros. In addition, around 8,000 jobs are affected. With the expected 7,500 cases, a total of 2025 could be the record year for bankruptcies.
The number of proceedings opened rose by 3.4 percent to around 2,170 and the company insolvencies rejected due to the lack of assets increased by 18 percent to almost 1,500.
2025 could be a record year for bankruptcies
“It seems that Austria is heading for an insolvency record year. There have never been so many bankruptcies in the history of the 2nd republic. The mood among the company is at the low point and fewer and fewer mastering the challenges. Now rapid solutions are asked that strengthen the business and competitiveness,” summarizes Creditreform managing director Gerhard Weinhofer.
The challenges include declining orders, falling income and a very low willingness to invest. No wonder that the business climate is currently even more negative than at the highlight of the pandemic. This was the result of a creditreform survey from the spring of 1,400 Austrian companies.
Most of the bankruptcies can be found in the federal capital of Vienna with almost 17 bankruptcies per 1,000 companies; Few in Vorarlberg with 5 out of 1,000 companies. The national average is 10 out of 1,000 companies.
If you look at the industry distribution, retail 642 bankruptcies is most affected, followed by company -related services (617) and the construction (539). Compared to the first half of the year in the previous year, insolvencies in retail retail rose by 17 absolutely and 2.7 percent in percentage.
Bankruptcies in the clothing industry: Palmers, Gössl and Co.
Some well -known names have been appearing in the clothing industry for several months: The Austrian laundry provider Palmers Textil AG already reported an application to the Wiener Neustadt regional court in February with the aim of continuing the company’s sustainable continuation. The restructuring concept provides for the closure of 36 branches, which will affect 117 employees. As part of the second believer meeting for the ongoing renovation procedure, the company announced in April that he presented a declaration of intent to enter the start of a strategic group of investors around a listed textile company “. In May, the company’s renovation plan was largely accepted by the creditor.
The Salzburg traditional costume provider Gössl had withdrawn his application for a renovation process of Gössl GmbH in February and in the future will focus on a society in which he combines its activities. Gössl Gwand GmbH is still in a renovation process. A first renovation plan for Gössl GmbH failed in May at the Salzburg Regional Court; In the second attempt, the creditors approved: but inside the renovation plans for both companies.
The clothing provider Fuchs, based in Mürzzuschlag, had filed for bankruptcy at the end of November 2024, but received his renovation plan from the creditors: approved inside. Thus, a total of five textile transactions from the Fuchs and Staccato Formats Fashion House in Krieglach, Kindberg, Gloggnitz and Mürzzuschlag remain received as well as 27 of the originally 41 jobs.
Incidentally, the company’s bankruptcies in Germany are also leaving: According to Creditreform, around 11,900 companies registered bankruptcy in the first half of the year; 9.4 percent more than in the first half of 2024.