Red alarm level: SPÖ bosses defend themselves against impending AMS cuts!

Red alarm level: SPÖ bosses defend themselves against impending AMS cuts!

In Austria, cuts threaten the labor market service (AMS), which triggers concern at Social Democrats in Vienna, Lower Austria and Carinthia. The regional SPÖ chiefs Michael Ludwig, Peter Kaiser and Sven Hergovich express their demands on the potential blue-black coalition. In view of increasing unemployment figures, especially through mass layoffs in industry and in trade, they fear financial support for the unemployed. The "crown" reported that the AMS director Petra Draxl does not expect unemployment to decrease in the coming months. The WIFO Economic Research Institute even predicts another year of recession and warns of the negative consequences of a narrow belt seven at the AMS.

social responsibility required

Vienna Mayor Ludwig describes the situation dramatically: "Now it is important to fight every workplace. We have to endure the labor market service well." He sees cuts as irresponsible, especially in economically uncertain times when many people worry about their professional future. Peter Kaiser also supports this position and demands that it have to be invested in work instead of financing unemployment afterwards. In this context, a specialist training offensive and additional funds for work foundations are urgently needed. In addition, there is a demand to resume the successful AMS model project in Marienthal's workplace guarantee, which was stopped under the former black and blue government.

At the same time, business representatives such as the Salzburg Chamber of Commerce (WKS) are alarm. The WKS calls for a reform of unemployment benefit to reduce rising unemployment and boost the economy. At the end of November, 383,963 people were unemployed in Austria - an increase of 8.9 percent compared to the previous year. WKS President Peter Buchmüller puts a degressive unemployment benefit into conversation, which should initially be higher, but should be falling with the duration of unemployment. This is intended to offer incentives to return to employment faster. The Chamber of Labor, on the other hand, sees these demands critically, especially in the current economic situation with record bankruptcy and job losses for many employees, and describes it as "shabby" to work on a lower unemployment benefit in this difficult time, according to the Salzburger news.