© SPÖ

05. 02. 10. - 15:00

• more Business news
• RSS Feed Business

05. 02. 10. - 15:00

Minister says Germans more flexible in choice of work

Austrian Social Democratic (SPÖ) Labour Minister Rudolf Hundstorfer said today (Fri) Germans were more flexible than Austrians in choosing work.

He said at a UN event in New York: "Our neighbours have, shall we say, a different approach to mobility. For example, someone who wants a certain education must move, and someone who wants a certain job will not always find it in front of the door of his house."

Noting that 78,000 Germans were working in Austria compared to 60,000 Austrians who were working in Germany, the minister said: "Germans are present in all sectors, from banking to tourism. And another 17,000 or 18,000 come to Austria annually.

"That is not a criticism, for I understand why that is the case. Before I have no chance in Saxony-Anhalt, I will look across the frontier," he added.

Hundstorfer said the Austrian labour market situation would not improve in 2010 and might get a bit better in 2011 but real improvement would come only in 2012.

But he warned that would depend on many factors. "There must be economic growth of three or four per cent before there will be positive movement in the labour market," he noted.

Rapid improvement, however, was out of the question. "In such a crisis, one must be humble," he said.

Meanwhile, Labour Chamber (AK) President Herbert Tumpel has called on the government to help people over fifty get jobs as new figures showed the unemployment rate among older workers soaring by almost ten per cent.

Tumpel said "stabilising measures in the health sector and new work-time models" for over-50s were needed to ensure people without a job would find their way into the labour market more quickly.

The AK chief’s appeal came as the Austrian Labour Market Service (AMS) announced there had been a 7.3 per cent year on year rise in unemployment last month with the biggest jump registered among people aged 50 and older - 9.9 per cent to 65,059.

AMS officials said 323,651 people living in Austria, or 8.9 per cent, had been without a job in January, up from 301,529, or 0.7 per cent, in the same month last year.

They added 79,041 people – a year on year increase of 47.7 per cent – without a job had taken re-education courses offered by the body last month. These people are not considered as unemployed in the Austrian labour market statistics system.

Austrian Times

Related articles: EU

1. Two more people develop listeria infections

   » General News 2010-03-11

   Two more people have been hospitalised with listeria bacteria infections, the Agency for Health and Nutrition Safety (AGES) announced today (Weds).

2. Carinthian Slovene organisation opts for self-dissolution

   » General News 2010-03-10

   The Council of Carinthian Slovenes’ executive committee voted yesterday (Tues) in favour of its dissolution, head Karel Smolle announced.

3. First Austrian 'Van Graaf' branch to open at SCS

   » Business 2010-03-10

   International fashion chain "Van Graaf" will open its first Austrian branch next week.

4. Peek & Cloppenburg to continue expanding in Austria

   » Business 2010-03-10

   Family-owned German clothing chain Peek & Cloppenburg (P&C) said today (Weds) it would continue expanding in Austria.

5. Almost 100 missing Maddie tips in Austria

   » General News 2010-03-09

   Police in Austria registered almost 100 tip offs by people in the case of Madeleine McCann who went missing at a Portuguese holiday resort in 2007.

6. Vienna hotel prices up against European trend

   » Business 2010-03-09

   While the cost of hotel rooms in Vienna have soared, prices in 34 of the 50 most popular European citieshave declined year on year.

7. Vienna hotel prices up against European trend

   » Travel 2010-03-09

   While the cost of hotel rooms in Vienna have soared, prices in 34 of the 50 most popular European citieshave declined year on year.

8. Red Bull denies interest in German digital radio market

   » Business 2010-03-09

   Salzburg energy drink producer Red Bull has denied that it is interested in entering the German digital radio market as reported by German newspaper Hamburger Abendblatt.

9. Vienna 'centre of Mafia money-laundering operation'

   » Business 2010-03-09

   Vienna was the linchpin of a Mafia money-laundering operation by Italian telecom firms between 2005 and 2007, it emerged yesterday (Mon).

10. Military frontier patrols useless, says report

    » General News 2010-03-09

    Military patrols of Austria’s eastern frontiers are practically useless in terms of increasing public security, the Federal Audit Office (RH) said yesterday (Mon).

Related articles: crisis

1. Lower Austria to have more postal service providers

   » Business 2010-03-10

   Lower Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) Governor Erwin Pröll announced yesterday (Tues) that his province would have at least 500 postal service providers within two years.

2. AUA passenger numbers up

   » Business 2010-03-10

   Former Austrian flagship carrier Austrian Airlines (AUA) said today (Weds) they had more passengers last month compared to the same period last year.

3. 'Fest der Pferde' show jumping is history

   » Sports 2010-03-10

   There will be no more editions of the "Fest der Pferde" (Horse Festival) show jumping tournament, it has been announced.

4. Carinthian Slovene organisation opts for self-dissolution

   » General News 2010-03-10

   The Council of Carinthian Slovenes’ executive committee voted yesterday (Tues) in favour of its dissolution, head Karel Smolle announced.

5. TA 'has a personnel problem'

   » Business 2010-03-10

   Telekom Austria (TA) has too many people doing pointless jobs but at the same time has 600 in-house jobs that no one wants, according to its chief Hannes Ametsreiter.

6. Insurance branch tax 'will mainly affect customers'

   » Business 2010-03-10

   Customers would be the most affected party if the government decides to set up a new tax for insurance companies, a top branch representative has warned.

7. ÖBB freight branch's 2009 turnover deep in the red

   » Business 2010-03-10

   Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) supervisory board chief Horst Pöchhacker revealed today (Weds) the firm’s freight business department suffered operative losses of 100 million Euros last year.

8. Vienna hotel prices up against European trend

   » Business 2010-03-09

   While the cost of hotel rooms in Vienna have soared, prices in 34 of the 50 most popular European citieshave declined year on year.

9. Vienna hotel prices up against European trend

   » Travel 2010-03-09

   While the cost of hotel rooms in Vienna have soared, prices in 34 of the 50 most popular European citieshave declined year on year.

10. Stranz enters bankruptcy proceedings

    » Business 2010-03-09

    Personnel leasing firm Stranz based in Fernitz in Styria’s Graz-Umgebung district entered bankruptcy proceedings yesterday (Mon).

Related articles: business boom

1. A-Tec is back in the black

   » Business 2010-03-11

   Austrian industrialist Mirko Kovats’ holding company A-Tec Industries reported yesterday (Weds) that it had climbed back into the black in 2009.

2. Lower Austria to have more postal service providers

   » Business 2010-03-10

   Lower Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) Governor Erwin Pröll announced yesterday (Tues) that his province would have at least 500 postal service providers within two years.

3. AUA passenger numbers up

   » Business 2010-03-10

   Former Austrian flagship carrier Austrian Airlines (AUA) said today (Weds) they had more passengers last month compared to the same period last year.

4. First Austrian 'Van Graaf' branch to open at SCS

   » Business 2010-03-10

   International fashion chain "Van Graaf" will open its first Austrian branch next week.

5. Peek & Cloppenburg to continue expanding in Austria

   » Business 2010-03-10

   Family-owned German clothing chain Peek & Cloppenburg (P&C) said today (Weds) it would continue expanding in Austria.

6. Vienna hotel prices up against European trend

   » Business 2010-03-09

   While the cost of hotel rooms in Vienna have soared, prices in 34 of the 50 most popular European citieshave declined year on year.

7. Vienna hotel prices up against European trend

   » Travel 2010-03-09

   While the cost of hotel rooms in Vienna have soared, prices in 34 of the 50 most popular European citieshave declined year on year.

8. Vienna businesses welcome night-time underground service

   » Business 2010-03-09

   An all-night underground service to operate on Friday and Saturday nights and begin this summer has been welcomed by Vienna’s taxis, restaurants and tourist board.

9. Strabag bags €40mn Saudi order

   » Business 2010-03-09

   Austrian construction company Strabag SE won two assignments in Saudi Arabia together worth 40 million Euros, it has been announced.

10. Low-priced lederhosen on sale at discount Hofer

    » Business 2010-03-08

    Austrian supermarket chain Hofer has added a new item to its wide range of cut-price products: lederhosen and dirndls.

Dozy driver escapes crash with cuts and bruises
A snoozing driver had a miraculous escape after his car rammed into trees in Fußach, Vorarlberg, last night (Wed/Thurs) ripping the engine out of the vehicle.

Two more people develop listeria infections
Two more people have been hospitalised with listeria bacteria infections, the Agency for Health and Nutrition Safety (AGES) announced today (Weds).

Scientists cleared over avalanche pig research
The Innsbruck public prosecutor’s office announced yesterday (Tues) that it had ended its investigation of three scientists who had participated in a controversial experiment with pigs.

Obesity, youth and pregnancy up risk of swine flu
People who are obese, young and pregnant are more likely than others to get swine flu, according to two doctors at Vienna Medical University’s Institute of Virology.

Nazi victims buried at Graz' Belgier barracks
The bodies of 77 people were probably buried by the Nazis on the grounds of Graz’ Belgier barracks, where the Nazi SS’ Wetzelsdorf barracks was located, it emerged yesterday (Weds).

A-Tec is back in the black
Austrian industrialist Mirko Kovats’ holding company A-Tec Industries reported yesterday (Weds) that it had climbed back into the black in 2009.

DNA leads to arrest 10 years after robbery
Police have arrested a man in Mattersburg for the robbery of a tobacco shop 10 years ago.

'Jewish Portraits' on display in Graz
Pictures of native German speaking Jewish personalities who escaped the Holocaust by German photographer Herlinde Koelbl are on show in Graz from today (Weds).

'Jewish Portraits' on display in Graz
Pictures of native German speaking Jewish personalities who escaped the Holocaust by German photographer Herlinde Koelbl are on show in Graz from today (Weds).

What's on at the Burgkino this weekend?
A new comedy film starring George Clooney is heading the bill at Vienna’s Burgkino – where all films are shown in their original English version – this weekend.