Minister of Economic Affairs and Labor Martin Kocher (ÖVP) wants to use the Red-White-Red Card to bring at least 15,000 skilled workers from countries outside the EU to Austria every year by 2027. The ministry announced this on Tuesday after a round of talks with Social Affairs Minister Johannes Rauch (Greens) and representatives of the social partners.
The aim is to jointly develop ‘total’ specialist strategies to combat the shortage of personnel. According to the AMS, the number of job vacancies in Austria stood at 118,566 in June, with numerous companies in various sectors complaining of acute staff shortages for some time. At the moment there is no relief in sight: in the care sector alone, the Ministry of Social Affairs expects an additional need of around 76,000 employees in 2030.
Workers from the EU Member States who are not recruited via the red-white-red card are therefore still in demand. They want to rely more on placements via the European job network EURES, says Kocher. The staff recruited in this way should be gradually increased to 2,000 people per year.
Kocher wants more efficient application procedures
The Minister of Labor gave a positive opinion via Twitter on Monday evening about the reform of the red-white-red card, which came into effect in October 2022. Some 3,800 cards were issued in the first half of the year, an increase of 47 percent compared to the same period last year.
A more efficient organization of the application process is central to the future recruitment of skilled workers from abroad. “For example, procedures, including the approval of the Red-White-Red Card, but also the recognition of qualifications already acquired abroad, should be accelerated,” the statement said. Appropriate support measures for companies and qualified personnel from abroad are also being considered.
Criticism and encouragement for Kocher
The reactions were mixed. While the opposition parties as well as the Federation of Trade Unions (ÖGB) and the Workers’ Chamber (AK) criticized the initiative, support came from the Chamber of Commerce (WKÖ), the Federation of Industry (IV) and the State Secretariat for Tourism.
Social spokesperson Josef Muchitsch of SPÖ, for example, believes that Kocher should focus more on improving working conditions. The AK president Renate Anderl, who sees domestic companies in the sense of better working conditions as a measure against the shortage of skilled workers, sees the situation in a similar way.
WKÖ calls for rapid implementation
From the point of view of FPÖ spokeswoman Dagmar Belakowitsch, the planned increase in red-white-red cards is an “immigration joke” that is “purely at the expense of the social system and therefore at the expense of the Austrians”. Economic and social spokesperson from NEOS, Gerald Loacker, on the other hand, is angry about “high taxes on work” in Austria, “excessive” bureaucracy and long waiting times for the red-white-red card.
WKÖ Secretary General Karlheinz Kopf and IV Secretary General Christoph Neumayer, on the other hand, welcomed the plans and called for swift implementation of measures. State Secretary Susanne Kraus-Winkler (ÖVP) emphasized the importance of the red-white-red card for tourism.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
