Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2022, published 111st ILC session (2023)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Austria (Ratification: 1972)

The Committee notes the observations made by the Federal Chamber of Labour (BAK) and the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, transmitted together with the Government’s report.

Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. Employment trends and active labour market measures. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government regarding the implementation of employment plans and measures at the federal and Länder-levels, as well as the employment measures envisaged under the Austrian Federal Government Programme 2020-2024 (the Government Programme), which focuses on improving the labour market access of persons aged 50 and above. The Committee notes that the overall employment rate of persons aged 20 to 64 continued to grow in the pre-COVID-19 period, reaching 76.8 per cent in 2019 (close to the national target established for Austria in the 2020 Europe Strategy of 77-78 per cent). Nevertheless, the employment rate declined to 72.4 per cent (76.7 per cent for men compared to 68.1 per cent for women) in 2021 as a consequence of the pandemic. The unemployment rate in 2021 reached 5.4 per cent (5.5 per cent for men and 5.2 per cent for women). In this respect, the Committee notes the detailed information provided by the Government on the series of measures taken to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the labour market. The Government indicates that, in 2020, it adopted labour market measures aimed at preserving the highest number of jobs possible, investing a total of €8.5 million to this end. The labour market policy interventions and incentives developed and introduced in collaboration with the social partners included a short working-hours (Kurzarbeit) scheme, supporting 1.2 million workers (43 per cent men and 57 per cent women) and resulting in the preservation of some 200,000 jobs. In its observations, the BAK emphasizes that the employment benefits for workers who could not use the short working-hours model and were made redundant should be extended to nine months and increased to meet their basic living costs. The Committee further notes the pro-active measures implemented since October 2020, including training programmes which were rolled out together with enterprises in the areas of health and social care, metal works, environment and sustainability, as well as digitalization. Lastly, the Committee notes that the BAK expresses its concern in relation to a new algorithm-based strategy developed by the Austrian Public Employment Service (AMS). The BAK highlights that the digitalization of AMS services could alienate those unemployed persons not familiar with IT-tools, subsequently leading to the segmentation of the unemployed work force, pushing already disenfranchised groups closer to the margins of the labour market. The BAK calls for the provision of further support for persons that are particularly vulnerable to decent work deficits, such as women, long-term unemployed persons and migrants who lack access to the primary labour market. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide updated detailed information, including statistical information disaggregated by sex, age and migration status, on the nature and scope of measures taken under employment programmes and their impact on the promotion of full, productive and freely chosen employment. It also requests the Government to continue to provide updated information on employment trends, disaggregated by sex, age and migration status.

Older workers. The Government indicates that the employment rate of persons aged between 55 and 64 continued to increase from 43.8 per cent in 2013 to 54.7 per cent in 2020 (62.7 per cent for men and 47 per cent for women), including during the height of the COVID-19-pandemic. With the objective of keeping workers in paid work for longer, the Government Programme envisages the expansion of age-appropriate employment options through integration subsidies and targeted improvements to part-time work for older employees, in the form of a semi-retirement scheme. Since 1 January 2019, the minimum qualifying age for the part-time semi-retirement scheme has been gradually increased from 53 years to 55 years for women and 58 years to 60 years for men. The Government reports that, between 2019 and 2020, 82,100 persons participated in the scheme. In addition, the Government indicates that the programmes implemented to reintegrate older workers in employment on a part-time basis was extended to federal public servants. In addition, the Fit2work prevention programme was launched, which offers early advice and support to people and business on work and health-related issues in the event the worker experiences health problems. The prevention programme benefited over 145,000 persons and over 3,000 enterprises up to December 2020. The Government also refers to the implementation of a new support format for people with multiple obstacles that prevent them from entering the workplace (BBEN), with the objective of increasing their employment opportunities. The BBEN targets persons who have been registered in the AMS for at least two years and meet two of the following three criteria: they are 45 years or above, suffer from a health condition, and did not continue in education beyond statutory school-leaving age. In 2020, 30,432 persons, 43 per cent of whom were women, participated in the BBEN scheme. Moreover, the 50+ employment initiative was continued and expanded to include wage subsidies, work-based qualification programmes and temporary employment in social enterprises for unemployed persons above 50 years of age. In addition, as part of the Springboard programme, 50,000 long-term unemployed persons, many of whom are over the age of 50 and/or have health conditions are offered a combination of initial advice and skills-based job matching tailored to their individual needs, in addition to preparatory training for work between 1 July 2021 and 31 December 2022. The Committee notes that, in its observations, the BAK questions the efficiency of the programmes for older persons who are long-term unemployed, such as the Springboard programme, as the programme offers no job guarantee. It therefore requests the Government to create more jobs in those areas with higher social demand, such as care work, which are often neglected due to the smaller profit margins involved. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide detailed updated information on the nature, the scope and the impact of the active labour market measures adopted or envisaged targeting older workers, with a particular focus on the long-term unemployed and other disadvantaged groups of older workers, particularly those vulnerable to intersectional discrimination.

Education and training. The Committee notes the information provided by the Government with respect to the set of measures undertaken in the area of vocational education and training, including the continued implementation of the on-the-job training for the unemployed (AQUA), a programme which enabled 4,754 persons to take up apprenticeships as part of work-based training in 2020. Also in 2020, an additional 72,983 people, of which 15 per cent suffered from a health condition, took part in a “training course for skilled workers”. The Government also refers to the implementation of the Skilled Worker Intensive Training (FIA) programme, which offers apprenticeships in construction, carpentry, metalworking, IT and electricity to unemployed persons with few or no qualifications. In addition, as of 1 January 2019, training courses for workers with low and medium-level qualifications and jobseekers in careers where there is high demand for labour (health and social care, the metalworking industry and others) have been funded through the skilled worker grant (FKS). In this respect, the BAK points out that, while the future skilled worker grant should include a stipend for skilled workers, educational leave and part-time work, the current stipend should be used to cover the shortage of skilled workers, particularly in the health and care sector. In addition, the BAK emphasizes that, in order to ensure their sustainable participation in the labour market, jobseekers should be entitled to continuing education. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide detailed updated information on the nature, scope and impact of the programmes and measures taken in the area of education and training and their relation to prospective and sustainable employment opportunities.

Youth employment. The Committee observes that, between 2019 and 2020, the unemployment rate of persons aged 15 to 24 increased from 8.5 per cent to 10.5 per cent, while the employment rate decreased from 51.6 per cent to 50.2 per cent. The Government indicates that it places particular focus on the employment of young persons in its labour market policy. In this respect, it allocated €831 million in 2020 to support the transition of young persons into work. Future dual vocational training projects will also cover digitalization and innovation, sustainability, climate protection and resource efficiency, inclusion and diversity, internationality and mobility and new forms of training networks and the establishment of start-ups. The Government also refers to the implementation of new initiatives aimed at young persons under the age of 18, such the AusBildung bis 18 (education up to 18), which enables all young people to complete a vocational training course in addition to compulsory schooling, to better prepare them for future labour market needs. It also refers to the Jugendcoaching (youth coaching) programme for those young persons that have completed compulsory education. The programme has a particular focus on young persons whose mother tongue is not German.The latter group is also targeted in the AusbildungsFit (Ready for Education and Training) programme, which provides support to young persons requiring more time and assistance to prepare for their first vocational training after having left school. The Committee further notes the amendment to the Federal Act on the Vocational Training of Apprentices, which introduced, inter alia, a regular review of training regulations to ensure that they are up to date, the mandatory involvement of enterprises in the apprenticeship schooling system, part-time apprenticeships due to health reasons, or to accommodate child care. The Government reports that 108,416 persons were participating in an apprenticeship in 2020. The Committee nevertheless notes the observations of the BAK, indicating that a significant number of apprenticeship slots remain vacant. It calls upon the Government to continue implementing measures to facilitate young persons’ access to and participation in apprenticeships. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide detailed updated information on the vocational education measures and active labour market policies targeted at young persons.

Women. The Committee notes that in 2021, more women than men were in diverse forms of working arrangements, such as part-time, freelance and temporary agency work, with 55 per cent of women and only 17 per cent of men being in such forms of employment. The percentage of women in part-time employment was 49.6, compared with 11.6 for men. The Committee further notes that 5.7 per cent of men in paid employment were in managerial positions (compared to 3.3 per cent of women). Even with the same level of education, women were more likely to be in middle-level positions than men. In this context, the Government indicates that its policies and programmes aim at improving women’s employment prospects, overcoming gender-based segregation, promoting higher vocational qualifications and supporting women’s return to work. The Government refers to a set of programmes aimed at promoting the participation of women in the labour market, such as the Return-to-Work programme, in which a total of 37,438 women participated in 2020, and the Women in Crafts and Technical Occupations programme (FiTprogramme), which encourages women to complete a training in crafts and in which 6,959 women participated in 2020. The Government also refers to the implementation of the flexible apprenticeship programme “Competence with System”, through which an apprenticeship may be split into individual modules, which can be completed during breaks in seasonal employment. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide updated detailed information on the nature and impact of measures adopted or envisaged to promote the participation of women in the labour market, including on measures fostering their participation in regular employment across all sectors and at all levels.

Persons with a migration background. The Government refers to the cooperation of the AMS with women’s and migrants’ counselling centres to provide assistance to migrant women through offering German courses and other integrative measures. Persons entitled to asylum are in addition supported through competence checks to assess knowledge and skills, which particularly benefit women who lack formal training. The Committee notes the statistical information provided by the Government concerning the number of persons with migration backgrounds and persons with refugee status that benefited from the support measures implemented during the reporting period. Other measures implemented to support migrants and persons with asylum status included the celebration of a job fair held by the Federal Government in cooperation with the AMS, the Austrian Integration Fund, the Federation of Austrian Industries and the Austrian Economic Chamber for 1,000 persons with asylum status. The Committee also notes the implementation of the Mentoring for Migrants programme initiated by the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, as part of which 2,400 mentors in the economy paired up with qualified migrants to assist them in entering the Austrian labour market. The Committee notes with interest the implementation of the b-mobile programme, under which persons with asylum status located in the east of the country were placed in apprenticeships in the west, where the current skills shortage in tourism offers prospects. The BAK observes that, while migrant women face particular hardships, persons with a migration background in general are more affected by unemployment and calls for measures to address this issue. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide information on the nature, scope and impact of the measures adopted for the use of the labour potential of persons with a migration background, and in particular women, to help them integrate sustainably into the labour market.

Persons with disabilities. The Committee notes that, according to statistical information from the Austrian Economic Chamber, in 2020, the unemployment rate of persons with disabilities aged 15 to 65 stood at 8.4 per cent, significantly higher than the overall national unemployment rate. The Committee nevertheless notes that at the same time their labour participation rate was more than 60 per cent and thus well above the EU-average of 47 per cent. The Government indicates that the National Labour Market Policy Programme (BABE) Disability Training-Employment for 2014–17 has been extended until 2030. The Committee notes the Government’s indication that the employment support measures implemented are adapted to the needs of persons with disabilities and take into account factors such as age, life paths and the specific form of the individual’s disability. Building on this, all Government programmes recognize the inclusion of persons with disabilities as an interdisciplinary question and endeavour to provide this group with access to all general labour market and other support programmes. The Committee notes that, while the BAK observes that acquiring relevant qualifications and completing vocational training are essential for the permanent integration of persons with disabilities into the labour market, the AMS should offer individually tailored qualification opportunities for persons with disabilities. The Committee requests the Government to continue to provide updated detailed information, including statistical data disaggregated by sex and age, on the nature and impact of measures taken to promote employment opportunities for persons with disabilities in the open labour market, including information on the development and continued implementation of the National Labour Market Policy Programme (BABE) Disability Training-Employment beyond 2021.