In Upper Austria

The “treasure hunt” begins on the labor market

"People with disabilities often need more time and support to develop their skills," says Brigitte Deu from the Upper Austrian regional office of the Social Ministry Service.(Bild: Robert Kneschke)

How can the growing labor shortage be tackled or at least counteracted? Upper Austria is now embarking on a "treasure hunt". On the one hand, increased integration of immigrants is to become the key, while on the other, support for young people with disabilities is to be stepped up.

Falling demand, rising costs - these are the ingredients of the cocktail that is giving companies a headache. The growing labor shortage has lost some of its poignancy due to tight budgets and associated cost-cutting measures, which are also leading to staff cuts.

"100 retire, 65 follow"
But the fact is that more and more of the baby boomer generation are retiring. Stefan Pierer, President of the Federation of Austrian Industries in Upper Austria, speaks of a "massive issue": "100 are retiring, 65 are following."

In Austria, 540,000 more people will retire in the next twelve years than will follow - and this does not include the migration factor.

Christian Helmenstein, Chefökonom der Industriellenvereinigung

Bild: IV OÖ/Roland Pelzl

Economist Christian Helmenstein described the situation last week in Linz as a "huge labor shortage". "How do we solve this challenge?" he asked, also taking immigrants into consideration: "Those who are already here need to be qualified and effectively integrated into the labor market."

Inclusion is also becoming more important: in coordination between the Public Employment Service Austria, the state and the Ministry of Social Affairs, support for young people with disabilities is now being regulated in Upper Austria.

Ending stigmatization at a young age
"We provide targeted support services to help these young people participate in the labor market in the best possible way," says AMS Managing Director Iris Schmidt. Provincial Councillor for Social Affairs Wolfgang Hattmannsdorfer is pleased about the new opportunities: "At the same time, we are putting an end to stigmatization at a young age."