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Red alert: Older jobseekers in Austria urgently need support!
Unemployment among older workers in Austria is increasing. Support measures are urgently needed to combat long-term unemployment.
Red alert: Older jobseekers in Austria urgently need support!
In Austria, unemployment has risen worryingly, especially among older workers. According to a recent report by the Chamber of Labor, President Renate Anderl expresses serious concerns about the continued duration of unemployment among people aged 50 and over. Particularly alarming is the fact that two out of five unemployed people go straight into retirement, indicating a worrying situation. Older jobseekers have significantly lower chances of being quickly reintegrated into the labor market, which increases the urgency of taking appropriate measures.
As part of the so-called “Elderly Employment Package”, the federal government is planning several measures to promote the employment of older workers. A central point of this package is the 55+ campaign, which aims to combat long-term unemployment among older workers. The success of these programs will depend heavily on the provision of additional resources without affecting other support measures of the Employment Service (AMS).
Long-term unemployment in focus
A more in-depth analysis of long-term unemployment shows that the proportion of older unemployed people (55 to under 65 years of age) is consistently high. In the years from 2001 to 2020 there were significant fluctuations in the number of older unemployed:
| Year | Number of older unemployed people |
|---|---|
| 2001 | over 710,000 |
| 2008 | just over 420,000 |
| 2014 | a good 580,000 |
| 2020 | over 600,000 |
The proportion of older unemployed people compared to the total number of unemployed has increased from 11% in 2004 to 24.3% in 2022. This shows that the challenges for older workers are significant, as the risk of remaining unemployed is significantly higher.
Demographic change and its effects
Demographic change is exacerbating the problems that already exist in the labor market. The labor market faces an imbalance between young and older employees. There are currently 4.5 million older professionals compared to only 3.2 million young professionals. At the same time, many training positions remain unfilled, which increases the pressure on jobs with skilled workers. An above-average number of employees in professions such as transport, logistics, construction and architecture will retire in the next ten years.
Vacancies in the health and social sector are also a significant challenge, with 145,315 jobs unfilled. Important measures to secure skilled workers require that older workers stay in employment longer by creating incentives. Age-appropriate work and targeted further training opportunities can be crucial here.
Overall, it is important that both political measures to increase the attractiveness of employment in old age and an educational offensive to attract young talent in dual training occupations are promoted. The need for skilled workers will continue to increase in the coming years, and older workers could represent a valuable resource.
The challenges that older jobseekers face are complex and require comprehensive solutions to ensure sustainable integration into the labor market. Effective support for older employees can only be ensured through accompanying coaching measures and sufficient personnel resources at the AMS. Companies are also required to actively contribute to enabling older employees to access the labor market. These are the essential steps that must be taken to improve the situation for this population group.
In summary, it can be said that those responsible in both politics and business are called upon to not only recognize the increasing unemployment among older workers, but also to actively combat it.
For more information on this topic, see posts by OTS, bpb and Kofa.