The corona pandemic has exacerbated staff shortages in gastronomy and tourism. According to the Labor Market Service (AMS), 15,555 people were missing across Austria in April, about twice as many as four years ago. Labor Minister Martin Kocher (ÖVP) justifies this situation by, among other things, the fact that fewer people are entering the industry and there are no foreign skilled workers.
“Normally, 40,000 workers enter tourism in Austria in two years. In the past two years, there were only 20,000”, calculates Kocher. At the same time, the demand for employees is increasing again after two years of corona measures. “Companies can only be advised to face these facts and work on concepts to increase their attractiveness as an employer,” said AMS boss Johannes Kopf. He also calls on companies to actively contact the AMS so that a solution can be found together. After all, the staff shortage will probably accompany the sector for a long time to come.
Currently, about 188,000 people are employed in gastronomy or tourism (employees). Unemployment in April was well below previous years. According to the industry, up to 35,000 employees are missing. This difference with the AMS figures can be explained by the fact that the representatives are already looking at the entire summer season.
expected structural change
Due to staff shortages, many companies may need to book in advance to secure a place in the future. More self-service concepts could be introduced in the cheaper area. In addition, industry representatives see rest days coming even in peak season. “The offer as we know it will no longer be there,” sums up the manager of Villa Lido in Klagenfurt, Franz Huditz.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
