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Working in Austria: A roundup of the latest jobs news and information

Find out all the latest information related to working in Austria with The Local's weekly roundup of job news.

Published: 13 September 2021 14:25 CEST
Updated: 19 September 2021 10:49 CEST
Wine taverns are still doing good business in Burgenland according to a recent survey. (Photo by Sandra Dempsey on Unsplash)
Wine taverns are still doing good business in Burgenland according to a recent survey. (Photo by Sandra Dempsey on Unsplash)

Record vacancies in tourism and retail jobs sectors

There are a record number of job vacancies in Austria’s tourism, temporary and retail jobs sectors as the economy picks up sharply following the Covid-19 pandemic, Die Presse newspaper reports. At the end of August, public employment agency AMS reported 113, 849 vacancies, up 72.5% compared to the same time last year. There were around 27,500 jobs in the temporary sector and 18,200 in retail being advertised. 

City tourism and micro businesses still suffering

Although in Austria’s rural regions tourism is recovering, tourism in cities such as Linz is still far behind pre-pandemic levels, according to the Wiener Zeitung newspaper. The paper features an interview with Lower Austrian self-employed tour guide Sonja Thauerböck, who says cruise ships on the Danube are running at well below 50 percent occupancy. According to the paper, more than 330,000 one-person companies (EPU) in Austria are faring similarly to Thauerböck, with hairdressers, physiotherapists, artists and restaurateurs all suffering a downturn in fortunes. Many are dreading the end of October, when government aid for micro businesses may end. Many debts, including deferred social insurance payments, are also now due.  “For many EPU it is now a period of rude awakening,” Sonja Lauterbach, founder of the EPU forum on Facebook, is quoted as saying.

Labour law around employers and vaccinations explored

The labour lawyer Georg Schima has attempted to answer the question whether employees can make being vaccinated against Covid-19 a condition of employment.

He also explores if an employee who refuses to be vaccinated can be dismissed in a blog post in  Der Standard newspaper.

He says employers are allowed to require applicants for a job to be vaccinated. If the applicant lies that she or has been vaccinated, or refuses to vaccinate, having promised to do so, they can be dismissed.

He says it is not possible to dismiss employees who were hired before a vaccine requirement was in place if they refuse to get the jab. However, these people could be asked to wear masks at work or bear the cost of testing for Covid-19.

Inflation is expected to rise in Austria

In August, Austria’s inflation rate jumped to 3.1 percent, the highest in ten years, and it is also expected to rise in 2021. According to Statistics Austria Director General Tobias Thomas, speaking to the Krone Zeitung, the inflation is being caused by both short-term and structural effects.

The strong rise in energy prices is currently having an impact, with the price of crude oil having risen from a low of $20 a barrel in February 2020. The general economy is picking up again strongly after the pandemic year, which is driving up many raw material prices such as wood and metals, leading to increases in prices.

An additional driver of inflation  in Austria is the disproportionately high share of tourism and other services in the shopping basket, which is used to measure the inflation rate.

Since 2015, services have been 14.8 percent more expensive on average, but general inflation has only increased by 11.3 percent.  Despite these influences, according to the Austrian Institute for Economic Research Wifo, inflation should only rise moderately this year to 2.3 percent.

Wine taverns continue in business in Burgenland

After a sharp decline over the past few decades, the number of wine taverns (Heurige und Buschenschänke) in Burgenland has stabilised. There are currently estimated to be around 340 taverns according to the Burgenland Chamber of Agriculture, and the number has stayed stable for the past five years, broadcaster ORF reports. The communities with the most wine taverns and wine taverns in Burgenland are currently Leithaprodersdorf (Eisenstadt-Umgebung district) and Rechnitz (Oberwart district).

Useful links

Looking for a job in Austria or just want a little more information about working here, then check out the following links: 

Working in Austria: Ten German words you need to know when looking for a job

Working in Vienna: How to find a job in the Austrian capital

How to survive as a freelancer in Austria

The jobs roundup is new addition and we’d welcome any feedback or suggestions for areas it should cover. Please email us at [email protected]

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WORKING IN AUSTRIA

Can I get unemployment benefits in Austria if I’m self-employed?

If you work in Austria as a freelancer or self-employed person, it may be confusing to understand your rights, especially when it comes to unemployment benefits.

Published: 25 April 2024 13:36 CEST
Can I get unemployment benefits in Austria if I'm self-employed?

Self-employed workers or freelancers know they often have fewer benefits than their employed friends and co-workers. This is usually because companies must pay into several social systems offering mandatory benefits to their workers. But if you are your boss, you might not have contributed to the same systems and, therefore, will not have the same rights.

According to Austria’s Public Employment Service AMS, self-employed persons can pay into unemployment insurance voluntarily to have access to the same benefits.

The agency said that in order to apply for unemployment benefits for the first time, applicants need to have paid into unemployment insurance for 52 weeks in the last 24 months. If they were employees subject to unemployment insurance and then became self-employed workers, that period working in a company also counts towards their observation period, and they may apply for unemployment benefits. 

READ ALSO: What to do when searching for a new job in Austria

If you have already received unemployment benefits previously, the so-called observation period you must be working before drawing the benefit again is at least 28 weeks (196 days) in the last 12 months. 

How can I sign up for unemployment insurance?

This is not done with the AMS, the agency says. Instead, you can contribute to unemployment insurance via your social insurance, which, in the case of freelancers and self-employed people, is the SVS. 

You can sign up in writing, but you have to do so in specific periods, depending on when you start your self-employment. You can check out more HERE.

You are then able to choose between three monthly contribution amounts, €52.14, €208.57 or €312.85 (2024 values), which will significantly influence your daily unemployment benefits: €28.43, €46.35 or €64.11 respectively (2024 values). 

You can apply online for unemployment insurance.

READ ALSO: Can I go on holiday while receiving unemployment benefits in Austria?

How to claim unemployment benefits in Austria

The first step to claiming unemployment benefits in Austria is registering as unemployed with the AMS. Then, you can apply to make a claim.

Applications should be submitted via an eAMS account, which is the AMS’s online portal. Registration for an eAMS account can be found here.

For anyone unsure about this process, the AMS can be contacted by phone or email. The AMS team will then send out an application form for unemployment benefits by post.

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