WKÖ head: Expansion of the list of shortage occupations points to the urgency of measures against labor shortages

2023-11-25 12:25:20

The draft of the Skilled Workers Ordinance for 2024 contains positive impulses – further increases should be considered for seasonal workers

Vienna (OTS) – “The skilled workers regulation that has now been assessed contains a number of positive impulses that should help companies find suitable personnel. “Among other things, it is a relief that additional professions are being added to the nationwide shortage occupation list,” comments Karlheinz Kopf, Secretary General of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce (WKÖ), on the draft assessment. For 2024, there are 110 nationwide shortage occupations, twelve more on the list than this year. There are also 48 regional shortage occupations.

At the same time, according to Kopf, these figures point to the urgency of taking measures to combat the labor shortage. This has also been recognized in the area of public transport, where it should be easier to attract skilled workers from third countries in the future. “However, we would have liked these simplifications to also apply to truck drivers. Because having enough truck drivers is extremely important both for the transport industry and for the security of supply for everyone in the country,” says Kopf.

Another downer for him is that the seasonal workers’ ordinance, which was also being assessed, provides for an update to the seasonal workers’ quotas that were increased in June, but does not contain any further increases. “Maintaining the quotas does not meet current needs. Because the labor shortage in tourism is higher than ever before,” says the WKÖ General Secretary. (PWK420/DFS)