The same wages for the same work: Equality in Austria now required!

The same wages for the same work: Equality in Austria now required!

On February 13, 2025, Austria is all about "Equal Pay Day", a day that puts the balance of wages between men and women in the spotlight. The adjusted gender pay gap in Austria is currently 12.18 percent, which means that women work unpaid for 44 days compared to their male colleagues. Neos women's spokeswoman Henrike Brandstötter criticizes these numbers sharply and describes them as a certificate of poverty for a modern country. "It is shameful that women still have to wait for the same work in 2025 until they are rewarded," she explains.

The political situation, which is associated with controversial financial support for childcare programs, is particularly alarming. Instead of pushing women into old role models, Brandstötter urgently demands measures for real equality and to improve financial security for women. The NEOS are calling for a rethink in politics to reduce outdated structures. "We need real freedom of choice for women," she emphasizes. This also includes a comprehensive information about the financial effects of part -time work, which urges many women into an unwanted dependency.

Significant wage differences in Austria

The current social study shows alarming 18.4 percent less income for women compared to men, one of the worst values within the European Union. In this inglorious ranking, Austria occupies the penultimate place with Estonia in the last place. Women not only have to work 44 days longer, but also have to accept a much lower wage than their male colleagues. The moment is celebrated as a "Equal Pay Day" until women in Austria have to work for the same annual remuneration that men reach after a year. These injustices make the urgency of reforms in labor law and social security again, as the small newspaper reports.