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JOBS

What are the top jobs for international residents in Austria?

Austria is home to many global companies and organisations, making it a great location for international job seekers.

What are the top jobs for international residents in Austria?
A sign in a window says 'now hiring'. Photo: JOE RAEDLE / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / GETTY IMAGES VIA AFP

But there are some specifics to be aware of, such as the main industries in Austria, the type of jobs available and the key locations for international companies that use English as the working language.

To help job seekers get started, The Local has put together a useful guide to the top jobs for international residents in Austria.

What are the main industries in Austria?

The biggest employer in Austria is the service sector, with 71.48 per cent of employees in Austria working in service jobs.

This makes the service industry an important economic pillar in the country.

According to figures from Statista, other key sectors in Austria are industry, which employs 25.04 per cent of workers, and agriculture at 3.48 per cent. 

Statistic: Austria: Distribution of employment by economic sector from 2010 to 2020 | Statista
Find more statistics at Statista

Agriculture appears small in comparison, but it’s a highly developed sector with a strong trend towards organic farming in recent years.

Austria also has a dynamic wine scene – particularly in Burgenland, Lower Austria and Styria – which exports millions of Euros worth of wine each year.

Plus, Austria has the highest proportion of organic vineyards in the world.

IN PICTURES: How Austria produces white caviar – the ‘world’s most expensive food’

To break down Austria’s main industries even further, the following are big contributors to the economy: food and luxury commodities, mechanical engineering, steel construction, chemicals and vehicle manufacturing.

Then there’s tourism, which in non-pandemic times is a key driver in Austria’s economy, especially in the Alps and lakes regions, as well as in cities like Vienna and Salzburg.

Jobs for English-speakers in Austria

The native language in Austria is German but English is also widely spoken and there are many jobs for English-speakers throughout the country.

In tourism-dependent regions like Tyrol, many ski resort areas hire English-speaking staff over the winter months, with companies like Tui even hiring directly from the UK in pre-Brexit times. 

Teaching English is another job that’s easily accessible for native English speakers in Austria, especially for those with existing teaching experience.

Most English teaching jobs require a bachelor degree and a TEFL teaching qualification, with the majority of teaching positions located in Vienna and Salzburg.

Other English-language jobs regularly advertised in Austria are web developers, software engineers and roles in academia.

Which international companies are based in Austria?

Austria sits in the middle of Central Europe, making it a convenient location for international companies and organisations – particularly in cities like Vienna, Linz and Salzburg.

Vienna is actually home to many global employers, including the United Nations, Accenture, Microsoft, Google, Boston Consulting Group, KPMG, IBM and L’Oréal. 

This makes Vienna the main hub for job vacancies for international residents in Austria.

Outside of Vienna, Linz is Austria’s second largest economic area and another popular location for international companies, with Borealis, BMW and Siemens all based in the city.

READ MORE: The best places to live in Austria that are not Vienna

Then there’s Salzburg, where companies like Red Bull and Hofer (the name for German supermarket Aldi in Austria) are headquartered. 

Other international companies in Salzburg include BMW, KTM and Porsche. Plus, the University of Salzburg is a big employer in the city.

For technology jobs, Graz has a lot to offer – especially in biotechnology, energy and environmental technology – but there aren’t as many well-known international companies based in Graz as there are in Vienna, Linz and Salzburg.

How to find a job in Austria as an international resident

Many jobs in Austria are advertised on the usual platforms like LinkedIn and Indeed, making them good places for English-speaking job seekers to start looking.

But there are Austria-specific job websites to be aware of too – like XING (the LinkedIn of the German-speaking world), Jobs in Vienna and Karriere.

Austria: Just how good does your German have to be to gain residency and citizenship?

English-speaking roles are usually advertised in English, making them easy to spot, and the description will often state if the company language is also English.

In fact, many international companies that are based in Austria have adopted English as the working language, making them ideal workplaces for English-speakers.

However, it’s always beneficial to have German language skills as well, even when working in an English-speaking role.

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POLITICS

EXPLAINED: Austria wants to define its fundamental culture but what is it?

Politicians from Austria's centre-right ÖVP are putting together a definition of Austria's 'guiding culture', known in German as 'Leitkultur'. What is that and why are they doing it?

EXPLAINED: Austria wants to define its fundamental culture but what is it?

When you think of Austria, your first thoughts might be of Alpine hills, Schnitzel and traditional folk music. 

Is this what politicians are referring to when they talk about Austrian ‘Leitkultur’ or ‘leading or guiding culture’? 

Many in Austria are considering this question because the coalition government is honing in on this concept. 

Austria’s Integration Minister Susanne Raab, of the centre-right Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP), has been tasked by chancellor Karl Nehammer (ÖVP) to develop a legal definition of ‘Austrian guiding culture’.

It’s part of the “Austria Plan” that Nehammer presented earlier this year when he called for a “guiding Austrian culture by 2030, which should also be reflected in law as a national cultural asset”.

READ ALSO: ‘Austria Plan’ – What are the chancellor’s new plans for the country?

Raab said it should ensure “that symbols and behaviours that contradict our fundamental values can be treated in a legally differentiated manner”.

However, this topic has been the subject of heated debate with critics accusing politicians of using it to alienate immigrants, particularly asylum seekers and refugees.There is a fear that the ‘Leitkultur’ concept goes against multiculturalism and calls on people to conform to one ‘guiding culture’ without an acceptance of other ways of life outside western culture. 

The concept is not just a talking point in Austria – it’s also been discussed heavily in neighbouring Germany for years, particularly by centre-right and far-right parties. 

How is Austria planning to define Leitkultur?

The Austrian government says it wants to define a concept of national cultural heritage in law over the next six years. 

As a first step, the Integration Minister has brought together a panel of experts who will meet on Thursday.

Under the banner “Austrian identity and guiding culture: values of coexistence”, the first meeting will be an introductory exchange, according to Raab’s office. The minister will outline her approach to the topic before the discussion, Austrian newspaper Der Standard reported.

The panel includes Katharina Pabel, a lawyer from Linz, Rainer Münz, who worked for Erste Bank and advised Jean-Claude Juncker as President of the EU Commission and Wolfgang Mazal, a professor at the Institute for Labour and Social Law at the University of Vienna.

What is Austrian ‘guiding culture’?

In an interview with Der Standard before the meeting, Mazal said the initial discussion “should serve to find a consensus in society about what is important to us and what form of coexistence we should cultivate”. He added that the ‘Leitkultur’ debate should be a “process of reflection”.

Mazal does not share the criticism of the term – in his view, it is not about placing one culture above others. Similar to the mission statement of a company, a “guiding culture” should define the “fundamental direction” of a society, he said. 

But the ÖVP’s communication has been more rigid. Secretary General Christian Stocker, for instance, recently explained in a Facebook video that Austrian identity is “what defines us”. This goes “from A to Z”, for example from brass band music to the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. “How we celebrate our festivals and holidays” is also part of our identity, he said. And “anyone who doesn’t want to accept all that is welcome to leave”, he made clear.

Overall, the People’s Party is focussing the debate very strongly on the topic of migration. Stocker says, for example, in the context of his comments on identity, that those “who have come to us” have done so voluntarily. “They have chosen this country and therefore they must also accept how we live in this country, what tradition and identity we have.”

In social media posts, Der Standard notes that the party states things like: “Anyone who believes that they should not shake a woman’s hand because she is ‘unclean’ must leave.” Or: “Anyone who rejects our way of life must leave!” 

Integration a key component 

Integration Minister Susanne Raab (ÖVP) told the Kronen Zeitung earlier this year that the concept was centred on integration. 

“Integration means learning the language, going to work and also accepting the values of our coexistence,” she said.

“And that is relevant because many people come to us who have been socialised completely differently. Where the culture is completely different, where women are worth less than men, where girls have no access to education and are forced into marriage or where the police are not your friend and helper, but highly corrupt. All of this is important to convey. And this is where immigrants also have to adapt.”

Raab added that it was possible for someone who did not adapt to face sanctions. 

“Yes, there will be measures that can be implemented in law, Raab told the newspaper, suggesting that could include cuts to social benefits, for example, or negative influences in the citizenship procedure or to asylum status.

The minister gave the example of when refugees come to Austria they have to take a German and values course as well as sign a declaration of integration otherwise there is a risk of having social benefits cut. The ÖVP is also currently considering further sanctions. 

Whatever the case, it is clear that the ÖVP is pushing for more integration measures in Austria, which is something they have been doing consistently. 

READ ALSO: Austrian minister wants foreigners to improve German levels to keep social benefits

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