Austria: conservatives open debate on curbing part-time work

Austria’s economic pressures and a shortage of skilled workers have prompted business leaders and conservatives to urge people to put in longer hours. Yet nearly a third of the workforce is now part-time, and the average working week is expected to shrink to just 28.5 hours by 2024. Moralising about a so-called "part-time lifestyle" – even as many firms benefit from it – is proving far from popular, however.