Kocher: The influx of skilled workers is to increase to 15,000 per year by 2027

2023-07-18 10:02:00

The ministry announced this by broadcast on Tuesday after a round of talks with Social Affairs Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) and representatives of the social partners. The aim is to jointly develop “comprehensive” specialist strategies in order to combat the shortage of staff. According to the AMS, the number of vacancies in Austria in June was 118,566, with numerous companies in various sectors having been complaining about acute staff shortages for a long time. There is currently no relief in sight: in the care sector alone, the Ministry of Social Affairs expects an additional need of around 76,000 employees by 2030.

Workers from the EU member states who are not recruited via the red-white-red card are therefore still in demand. To this end, they want to rely more on placements through the European job network EURES, says Kocher. The staff recruited in this way is to be gradually increased to 2,000 people per year. The Minister of Labor gave a positive assessment of the reform of the red-white-red card, which came into force in October 2022, via Twitter on Monday evening. Around 3,800 cards were issued in the first half of the year, an increase of 47 percent compared to the same period last year.

A more efficient design of the application process is central to the future recruitment of skilled workers from abroad. “For example, the procedures, including the approval of the Red-White-Red Card, but also the recognition of qualifications already acquired abroad, should be accelerated,” the statement said. Appropriate support measures for companies and qualified personnel from abroad are also being considered.

Unsurprisingly, the Chamber of Commerce (WKÖ), the Federation of Austrian Industry (IV) and the State Secretariat of Tourism welcomed the event. While WKÖ General Secretary Karlheinz Kopf and IV General Secretary Christoph Neumayer called for the rapid implementation of measures, State Secretary Susanne Kraus-Winkler (ÖVP) emphasized the importance of the red-white-red card for tourism. The Chamber of Labor (AK) and the Austrian Trade Union Confederation (ÖGB), on the other hand, reacted with criticism: the Red-White-Red Card is not a “panacea”, companies have to create better working conditions in order to find workers, according to AK President Renate Anderl.