An innkeeper in the first district of Vienna summed up the worries of his branch: “Disaster, I know an insane number of colleagues who have to close in the afternoon, who have to close much earlier. I spoke to a hotelier who has to close at eight o’clock, no staff.” But there is also an urgent need for staff in retail, at Wiener Linien and in the health sector.
On average, 40 percent more vacancies were reported this year at AMS Vienna than in the previous year. One of the focal points are tourism, the hotel industry and gastronomy. There is harsh criticism here, also of the Public Employment Service (AMS) and its placement activities. For out of ten agreed job interviews, only “two or three” would be noticed at all, and “none of them could actually be taken because they don’t have the qualifications or don’t want to work”.
Staff shortages are getting worse
The labor shortage is causing more and more problems in Vienna. There is an urgent need for staff in gastronomy, retail, at Wiener Linien and in the health sector. Criticism of the AMS is also getting louder.
Especially many hurdles in gastronomy
But especially in the catering trade, it takes a lot to break down hurdles in placement, said Silvia Hofbauer from the Vienna Chamber of Labor: “On the one hand, a good selection from the labor market service, which simply takes a very close look at what skills someone has, what are their strengths? And on the other side ‘What does the company need?’ It is also important to ensure that there are realistic requirements here.”
The restaurateur cannot understand the argument that is often made that entrepreneurs looking for staff simply have to pay more, especially because he is already paying more than the collective agreement: “Everything is getting more expensive and of course we also have to make sure that we remain affordable for our guests . That includes the staff, where we say 50 percent are staff costs.”
In order to find new staff and bring back industry graduates, the expert also mentions factors such as the actual payment of overtime in addition to good pay. Correctness in the employment relationship and recognition are also elements that are of course important for employees: “It’s difficult work, it’s strenuous work. And here you also need conditions that don’t let you burn out,” says Hofbauer.
The specialist group and AMS see inflation as a driving force
The often-heard criticism that some job seekers would rather live on AMS money plus additional income than seriously accept a job is transformed by Peter Dobcak, chairman of the restaurateurs in the Chamber of Commerce, into hope in view of the inflation: “The labor shortage will stabilize , because people can no longer get along with AMS money plus a little extra. People will have to go to work.”
That is definitely an assessment that the head of AMS Vienna, Petra Draxl, also shares. She believes that it could become necessary for people to move away from half-time or part-time work or 30-hour models and to work more full-time again: “I share that. We just don’t see it right now. You have to see that too,” she said in Vienna today.
Education is not the only thing that matters
She countered employers’ criticism of the AMS with several facts, including the age of the unemployed: “We have almost 20,000 young people under the age of 25, and that means that if we want them to enter the labor market with good qualifications, then they will it is important to train massively here in Vienna together with the companies. We do a lot here, but one can only say: ‘If I want to find a suitable worker, then I have to invest in training’”.
Training is a factor, but it is also a fact that companies are also looking for many people without training, such as dishwashers. But here the companies criticize that many would not come to the presentation date. On the one hand, Draxl emphasized that the AMS does set sanctions if someone does not accept the work. But it is important that the companies also report when this happens. However, there was no increase in responses. On the other hand, the AMS is also behind the fact that people also accept low-skilled jobs.
“And the third point is, and I think I’ll also ask the companies that we simply have, if I take gastronomy, then we currently have 1,000 people who are registered as unemployed with us and work part-time in gastronomy. In this respect, they are already in the catering trade. In other words, I would also appeal to companies to employ these people with more hours, because I think that is a model where we often find it difficult to place people. At the same time, they are wanted on the job market.”