Exceptional Facts Favoured the East of Austria

In the beginning of 1990 the already flourishing export situation and income growth of consumers have been supplemented by a pick-up of domestic investment. This broad base of demand allowed rather equal advantages of the economies of the different provinces. But there were also extra exceptional effects: The lack of snow in combination with Easter-holidays falling into the second quarter of 1990 had a negative effect upon the classic holiday resorts of Western Austria, while city-tourism exhibited unbroken growth. This situation brought also a greater consumption of energy about – electric energy plants are, however, above all situated in Eastern regions of Austria. All these components contributed to an unprecedented above average economic growth of Eastern Austria in the first months of 1990 and a relative lag of western regions. The gross value added (without agriculture and forestry) grew in Vienna, Lower Austria, Burgenland and Styria during the first quarter by 5.9 percent versus a year ago, in Carinthia, Upper Austria, Salzburg, Tyrol and Vorarlberg by 3.9 percent in comparison.