Vienna (OTS) – In his speech on the future of the nation on Friday, Chancellor Karl Nehammer gave special importance to the Austrian economy. Wirtschaftsbund President Harald Mahrer and Secretary General Abg.z.Nr. Kurt Egger are pleased with the economic ideas for the future. “With his speech on the future of the nation, Chancellor Karl Nehammer proved once again that he has visionary foresight and concrete ideas for a sovereign Austria in 2030. The chancellor is thus sending a positive signal to the domestic economy. Measures such as the free apprenticeship and master craftsman exam help to make the trade more attractive and reduce the shortage of skilled workers. Without a well-trained workforce, we will not be able to maintain our prosperity and domestic value creation in the future. In his speech, Nehammer emphasized innovation and technology instead of prohibitions. The Chancellor’s pledge to oppose a ban on combustion engines and to promote technology-neutral innovations shows the Chancellor’s foresight on this important issue. Common sense and logic are the solutions of our time,” Mahrer continues.
Mahrer: Voluntarily working longer in old age must be worthwhile
“The state should pave the way with incentives for everyone who voluntarily wants to continue working after retirement age. In particular, those who are about to retire or have already retired are definitely motivated to still work,” emphasizes Mahrer. According to a current survey by the Chamber of Commerce, 88 percent of companies consider it an effective measure to encourage longer working if you can earn extra income tax-free in your retirement. Three quarters of the companies can imagine hiring retired people. “We have to use the potential! The population and companies have recognized the problems on the labor market and are ready to do their part to solve them. The prerequisite is that the framework conditions are right and there are appropriate incentives. The Chancellor’s focus on incentive orientation is the right way,” said Mahrer.
WB Secretary General Egger: Commitment to degressive unemployment benefits
“Karl Nehammer summed it up aptly in his speech: ‘If you have two healthy hands, you should also work.’ But this incentive is not always given with the current structure of unemployment insurance. With a degressive model, we support people who have slipped into unemployment through no fault of their own, who want to find work again quickly and reduce the attractiveness of long-term unemployment. This enables us to get people better into employment and to relieve companies and employees who are already struggling with vacancies,” says WB General Secretary Abg.z.Nr. Finally, Kurt Egger.
Questions & contact:
Austrian Economic Association
Valentin Petritsch, MSc
Spokesman & Head of Communications
+43 1 505 47 96 17