With shorter procedures

“We want twice as many red-white-red cards”

Minister of Labor Martin Kocher

(Bild: APA/Eva Manhart)

While the parties are preparing for the election campaign behind the scenes, the government wants to work through its remaining black-green program. It also includes new measures to combat the shortage of skilled workers. The number of red-white-red cards is to be doubled within four years and the duration of the procedure halved within a year. 

Last week, the deadline for bringing forward the National Council elections to the day of the EU elections on June 9th expired. The hotly debated super election Sunday is therefore off the table. The black-green federal government is apparently taking this as an opportunity to actually work until the now probable election date of 29 September - above all, fittingly, in the Ministry of Labor.

Due to the increasingly acute shortage of skilled workers, Minister Martin Kocher wants and needs to recruit more workers from abroad. He is particularly on the lookout for them in so-called focus countries, which include Albania, Kosovo, Indonesia, the Philippines and Brazil.

8079 cards issued last year
However, in order for skilled workers from third countries to be allowed to work in Austria, they must first be issued with Red-White-Red Cards. Last year, 8079 of these cards were issued. A figure that Kocher would like to double over the next four years. At the same time, the duration of the procedure at the Public Employment Service is to be halved from the current average of 25 days in just one year.

Planning tool for recognitions
As the "Krone" has learned, both interested skilled workers and domestic companies should also have more planning security in future thanks to a new planning tool for the recognition of qualifications, such as training completed abroad, by skilled workers.

More than 200,000 vacancies in 2023
"The high demand for skilled workers is one of the most pressing challenges for domestic companies, and it is likely to increase further with the next upturn," says Kocher, looking ahead. According to estimates by Statistics Austria, the average number of vacancies in 2023 is likely to be over 200,000. At the end of February, 90,329 vacancies were registered with the Public Employment Service.

On Monday, Kocher plans to present his new measures and, above all, the new tool for more planning security.