The figures speak a clear language: Austria is crossed in a part -time republic. Employment is increasing, but the entire growth goes to the report of part -time positions. Although the population has grown by 1.2 million people in the past three decades, the number of complete jobs has not increased.
An alarming development that is concerned about experts: the trend in women is particularly striking. According to a recent study by the Austria Agenda, only about 33 percent of women between the ages of 15 and 64 have complete. A comparison of Europe shows that this share in the Netherlands is only lower. However, the neighboring country has a considerably higher employment rate as a whole.
Share time as a wealth phenomenon?
“Form time is often a wealth phenomenon,” says Carmen Treml, economist of the Austria agenda. But the supposed luxury can become a problem in the long term. “If Austria remains a welfare state, not only more people must work, but also more hours.”
But why do less and fewer people work completely? A decisive factor is the tax burden. Many employees, especially second earners in families, hardly see a financial benefit after making taxes and contributions from social security if they work more hours. “The fundamental condition for this is that the extra work also pays for tax purposes,” said Treml.
Family policy and lack of incentives
There is also the traditional distribution of roles. Many women reduce their working hours after the birth of children – also because childcare places are missing or the costs are high. At the same time, there are hardly any incentives for men to go part -time to enter into care work. The result: an imbalance that not only inhibits the economy, but also endangers pensions.
Experts have long since called for reforms. This includes better childcare, more flexible work models – and especially a relief for taxes. Because one thing is clear: without a doubt full jobs, Austria will not be able to retain prosperity.
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.
