Austria is facing a crisis in the labor market, with an increased number of unemployed, despite the demand for staff in certain sectors.

The labor market in Austria is in a tense period, with a significant number of unemployed, reaching 320,350 in November, which represents an increase of 5.2% compared to last year. If we include trainees from AMS programs, the total reaches 399,199, and the unemployment rate stands at 7.5%. Although employment has increased by 4,000 people, this is not enough to stabilize the situation.

Barbara Teiber, president of the GPA union, emphasizes that part of the crisis is generated by companies complaining about a lack of staff, while unemployment is rising in sectors such as commerce. She points out that Austria is not fully utilizing the potential of the workforce, especially the 200,000 part-time employees who want to work more but are not considered by employers.

The GPA union proposes the introduction of a legal right for employees who work overtime to extend their working hours. Teiber emphasizes that the refusal of companies to offer overtime to those who want to work more contributes to the loss of significant potential. The situation becomes even more complicated for people over 50, who are often excluded from recruitment processes, despite the demand for experienced employees. Teiber calls for stricter rules to ensure fair treatment of senior candidates.