Part -time: Austria's new world of work - women behind?

Part -time: Austria's new world of work - women behind?

Österreich - Austria has transformed into a part -time republic in recent decades. According to crown , employment increased primarily through the growth of part -time positions. The population has grown by 1.2 million people in the past 30 years, but the number of full -time jobs remained unchanged. Only around 33% of women between the ages of 15 and 64 are full -time, which gives Austria the second lowest value in Europe - only in the Netherlands is this proportion even lower. Despite the lower share of full -time employees, the Netherlands show a higher overall employment rate.

Carmen Treml, an economist of the Agenda Austria, refers to this phenomenon as a question of prosperity. She warns that long -term problems exist for the welfare state if no more people and hours are worked. A central factor for the different levels of employment is the tax burden, which causes many second earners to see no financial incentive for additional work after deductions and social security contributions. In particular, the traditional distribution of roles means that many women reduce their working hours after the birth of children.

family and care structures

Missing care places and high costs for childcare are additional factors that urge many women to work part -time work. The WSI reports that in Germany 46% of dependent women worked part -time, in contrast to only 13% of men. This unequal distribution is reinforced by the gender -specific division of labor in couple households, in which women take on a greater proportion of unpaid work, such as housework and childcare.

In Germany, a survey showed that 22.8% of part -time employees mentioned family reasons as the main cause of their working time reduction. This is comparable to the estimates from Austria, where at least 33% of women work part -time due to care obligations. Many women have difficulty returning after a full -time phase of part -time work, which significantly restricts their career opportunities.

different development trends

The part -time quota has increased by 16 percentage points in Germany since 1991, while it grew 11 percentage points for men. This development is also reflected in the climbs of part -time employees in Austria. There are currently hardly any incentives for men to also work part-time or take on care work. The BPB emphasizes that a reduced working time often with a waiver of earnings, retirement provision and career options goes hand in hand.

Another problem is the changed working structures that have been reinforced by the Covid 19 pandemic; Full -time employment has decreased while part -time employment has reached a record level. Many experts demand reforms to counter this problem. This includes better childcare, more flexible work models and tax relief.

It remains to be seen whether such reforms will be realized in the future. Without a significant increase in full -time jobs, Austria sees its opportunities to maintain economic prosperity.