Austria is facing labor shortages like many European countries and the rest of the world. As a response, the government announced the introduction of short-term work permits intended for foreign workers with short-term contracts, hoping to attract skilled workers. What are the conditions to be met for obtaining this permit, and what does the Austrian labor market currently look like?
New short-term permits for skilled foreigners
To address the shortage of skilled labor, the Austrian government has decided to extend work permits to include foreigners on short-term contracts. Such foreign workers will be able to come and work on Austrian territory for a maximum of 6 months. The government has specified additional conditions that will have to be met by foreign applicants who wish to move to Austria for work. These include a high level of education and/or qualifications, technical knowledge and skills for the intended job, and professional experience corresponding to the position for which they are applying. However, this measure only applies to certain skilled foreign professionals.
In practice, a company that wants to hire foreign talent locally on a short contract will require a guarantee certificate issued by the authorities. In turn, the foreign worker will have to apply for a visa. Only then will the employer be able to apply for a work permit for the employee. The entire process takes approximately 6 to 14 weeks.
Promoting immigration to curb labor shortages
This measure is actually a novelty in Austria. Until now, companies were not allowed to hire foreign workers locally on short contracts. But in the face of the acute labor shortage, businesses have been requesting a significant gesture from the government. On the Euractiv website, Julia Moreno-Hasenöhrl, deputy head of the department of social and health policy at the Austrian chamber of commerce, stated: "With more than 250,000 vacancies, we have reached a record level, and we urgently need employees in every sector".
The list of professions in urgent need of staffing continues to grow. Many positions need to be filled, such as computer and mechanical engineers, agricultural machinery, electrical, mechanical engineers and technicians, concrete builders, carpenters, electrical fitters, welders, metal turners and milling machinists, cost accountants, glass workers, construction fitters and painters, train drivers, plastics processors, health care professionals, and so on.
The Austrian government has also listed nearly 70 areas of employment that have urgent high demands, with concerns regarding multiple positions to be filled for each of these sectors. For example, in the category of specialized mechanical engineers, and the list is non-exhaustive, there is an urgent need for business scientists, designers, air-conditioning technicians, automobile construction technicians, and programmers.
While there are more than 250,000 job vacancies in Austria, qualified foreigners already on the territory are struggling to obtain work permits. To end this paradox, the government has decided to resort to immigration. It should be pointed out, though, that professionals, starting with those in the health sector, who have been hard hit by the health crisis, have repeatedly been sounding the alarm for some time now. In August, Health Minister Johannes Rauch acknowledged: "We have a shortage of workers and Austria will need immigration in the health and social sector. [...] ".
The recourse to immigration is now spreading to many other sectors. However, whether these short-term contracts will succeed in retaining skilled foreign workers in Austria remains to be seen.
