Today in Austria: A roundup of the latest news on Tuesday
Far-right leader wants chancellorship, Austria's labour shortage continues, and more news from Austria on Tuesday.
- Far-right leader lays claim to chancellorship
Far-right FPÖ federal party leader Herbert Kickl once again used the traditional Freedom Party rally on May 1st in Linz to make a chancellor's claim. According to an ORF report, he told the Black-Green federal government, "2030 is no longer any of your business, there's another chancellor, and he knows what he has to do."
Kickl addressed an audience of around 5,000 people, who frequently chanted "Herbert." He said, "None of the other parties and not even Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen will be able to stop the FPÖ."
Kickl also placed himself and his party in the centre of society, "don't let anyone tell you that you are the fringe of society," he encouraged his supporters.
Austria is set for federal elections in Autumn 2024, and far-right party FPÖ is so far leading voting intention polls.
READ ALSO: Why is support for Austria’s far-right FPÖ rising?
- EXPLAINED: Why is the housing market in Austria so dire right now?
Finding a job or getting a visa in Austria may well be easier in some places than finding a place to live – and what is available will often stretch the limits of one’s bank account. Just how did it get so bad?
- Austria has the highest labour force participation rate ever
According to the latest Eurostat report, Austria has the highest share of job vacancies in Europe, at 4.6 percent, confirming the country's labour shortage. The EU average is 2.8 percent, as announced by Martin Kocher, ÖVP Minister of Economy, on Monday. Currently, there are almost 113,000 job vacancies registered with the AMS.
Despite the labour shortage, Austria currently has the highest employment rate of all time, with more than 3.9 million dependent employees, which is almost five percent higher than before the pandemic in 2019, Kocher said.
The increased employment of women has contributed to the current employment rate of 77.5 percent of the Austrian population. The labour force participation rates are 83.3 percent for men and 71.6 percent for women, and the highest employment rate for men was 87.3 percent in the 1960s.
Kocher emphasised that it is a collective responsibility to expand childcare and ensure healthy work conditions until retirement in order to increase the domestic workforce potential.
However, he said that key international employees are still needed to meet Austria's growing demand for personnel.
READ ALSO: How critical is the situation in Austrian hospitals?
- Three-year-old found wandering the Viennese public transport
On Sunday evening, Vienna's public transportation service Wiener Linien alerted the police after a passenger discovered a three-year-old boy alone on the U6 subway train heading towards Floridsdorf.
According to police reports, the toddler wandered into the U6 Am Schöpfwerk station and boarded the train by himself, resulting in a frantic search by his mother. Luckily, a fellow passenger noticed the child and brought him to the attention of the station supervisor at Spittelau station, who subsequently alerted the police.
The Otto-Wagner-Platz police station quickly took the boy into their custody and determined that the mother had already visited the Am Schöpfwerk police station, where a search was already underway, including the use of a police helicopter.
Finally, police officers escorted the mother to the Otto-Wagner-Platz police station, where she was reunited with her son, who was reportedly looking to travel all the way to a fast-food restaurant by himself.
READ ALSO: What are kids allowed to do alone under Austrian law?
If you have any questions about life in Austria, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected].
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- Far-right leader lays claim to chancellorship
Far-right FPÖ federal party leader Herbert Kickl once again used the traditional Freedom Party rally on May 1st in Linz to make a chancellor's claim. According to an ORF report, he told the Black-Green federal government, "2030 is no longer any of your business, there's another chancellor, and he knows what he has to do."
Kickl addressed an audience of around 5,000 people, who frequently chanted "Herbert." He said, "None of the other parties and not even Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen will be able to stop the FPÖ."
Kickl also placed himself and his party in the centre of society, "don't let anyone tell you that you are the fringe of society," he encouraged his supporters.
Austria is set for federal elections in Autumn 2024, and far-right party FPÖ is so far leading voting intention polls.
READ ALSO: Why is support for Austria’s far-right FPÖ rising?
- EXPLAINED: Why is the housing market in Austria so dire right now?
Finding a job or getting a visa in Austria may well be easier in some places than finding a place to live – and what is available will often stretch the limits of one’s bank account. Just how did it get so bad?
- Austria has the highest labour force participation rate ever
According to the latest Eurostat report, Austria has the highest share of job vacancies in Europe, at 4.6 percent, confirming the country's labour shortage. The EU average is 2.8 percent, as announced by Martin Kocher, ÖVP Minister of Economy, on Monday. Currently, there are almost 113,000 job vacancies registered with the AMS.
Despite the labour shortage, Austria currently has the highest employment rate of all time, with more than 3.9 million dependent employees, which is almost five percent higher than before the pandemic in 2019, Kocher said.
The increased employment of women has contributed to the current employment rate of 77.5 percent of the Austrian population. The labour force participation rates are 83.3 percent for men and 71.6 percent for women, and the highest employment rate for men was 87.3 percent in the 1960s.
Kocher emphasised that it is a collective responsibility to expand childcare and ensure healthy work conditions until retirement in order to increase the domestic workforce potential.
However, he said that key international employees are still needed to meet Austria's growing demand for personnel.
READ ALSO: How critical is the situation in Austrian hospitals?
- Three-year-old found wandering the Viennese public transport
On Sunday evening, Vienna's public transportation service Wiener Linien alerted the police after a passenger discovered a three-year-old boy alone on the U6 subway train heading towards Floridsdorf.
According to police reports, the toddler wandered into the U6 Am Schöpfwerk station and boarded the train by himself, resulting in a frantic search by his mother. Luckily, a fellow passenger noticed the child and brought him to the attention of the station supervisor at Spittelau station, who subsequently alerted the police.
The Otto-Wagner-Platz police station quickly took the boy into their custody and determined that the mother had already visited the Am Schöpfwerk police station, where a search was already underway, including the use of a police helicopter.
Finally, police officers escorted the mother to the Otto-Wagner-Platz police station, where she was reunited with her son, who was reportedly looking to travel all the way to a fast-food restaurant by himself.
READ ALSO: What are kids allowed to do alone under Austrian law?
If you have any questions about life in Austria, ideas for articles or news tips for The Local, please get in touch with us at [email protected].
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