In a ranking with other countries in Europe, Austria has the most days off. Economists are therefore skeptical about the requirement for a 32-hour work week.
Leisure paradise Austria: Those who come here are enthusiastic, and those who live here are just as enthusiastic. According to a recent survey by the business-liberal think tank Agenda Austria, Austria is at the top of Europe when it comes to days off. Together with Estonia: 38 days (see chart below).
Austria has the second highest minimum holiday entitlement at 25 days. Estonia has three days left. But there are more holidays in the Alpine country than in the Baltic country. Dénes Kucsera and Carmen Treml from Agenda Austria: “In some areas it is 30 or more vacation days. The question is how useful this is. Especially since there is a tendency towards less work anyway.”
From 2009 to 2019, Austrians worked an average of 10 hours less per week. Now one hears the call from politicians to reduce working hours to 32 hours with full wage compensation. SPÖ candidate Andreas Babler causes a stir. Treml: “That only works in certain areas. People should be even more productive. That is no longer possible in nursing and medicine.”
According to Kucsera, minus 13 public holidays and 25 vacation days, there are still 222 working days this year. “Many have 38.5 hours a week. If it were shortened to 32 hours, that would be 37.5 days less.” The Dreams of Babler and Co. are not only “dangerous” from an economic point of view.
Source: Krone
I’m Ben Stock, a journalist and author at Today Times Live. I specialize in economic news and have been working in the news industry for over five years. My experience spans from local journalism to international business reporting. In my career I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the world’s leading economists and financial experts, giving me an insight into global trends that is unique among journalists.
