Inclusion in the labor market: Politics must finally act!

Inclusion in the labor market: Politics must finally act!

The professional inclusion of people with disabilities is becoming increasingly urgent and is now a central issue for politics and society. Christina Schneyder, managing director of joining-austria, emphasizes that non-binding announcements are no longer enough. “People with disabilities need real opportunities in the labor market, and politicians must actively create these,” said Schneyder. The problem is clear: despite the ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2008, many barriers remain that make access to the labor market more difficult for people with disabilities. According to thebei-austria reports, structural reforms and sustainable financing are crucial to enable real participation.

The new federal government has announced important measures in the government program 2025-2029 to strengthen the rights of people with disabilities. This includes the introduction of regular wages for employees in workshops and the reduction of bureaucratic hurdles in order to make support services more easily accessible. Nevertheless, as Eva Skergeth-Lopic from joining-austria notes, the will for inclusion must not only exist in the public sector. “There is a lack of incentive for the private sector to offer people with disabilities fair opportunities,” she warns. More determination is needed not only to declare inclusion as a goal, but to make it a reality.

Measures for the inclusive labor market

Federal Labor Minister Hubertus Heil recently announced far-reaching measures to promote inclusive jobs. There is actually no longer any reason to leave the potential of around 166,000 people with disabilities unused. “In order to change that, we are using targeted measures to make the labor market more inclusive,” said Heil in his speech. In the future, employers who are legally obliged to employ severely disabled people will have to pay a higher compensation levy if they do not do so. The money from this levy should then be used directly to promote the employment of people with disabilities.

In addition, the fiction of approval for entitlement benefits from the Integration Office will be introduced. This means that applications will be considered approved in the future if the Integration Office does not decide on them within six weeks. A central measure to improve professional integration is the labor budget, which provides permanent support for employers with wage costs. This is intended to help people with disabilities be integrated into the general labor market more easily and successfully federalgovernment.de reported.

Overall, it shows that both social and political responsibility for the professional inclusion of people with disabilities is considered essential. Laws and policies are a step in the right direction, but achieving lasting change requires clear political will and overcoming existing mental barriers.