Austria: more flexible recruitment procedures for 66 professions with labour shortages

Updated every year, Austria’s list of professions classed as suffering from labour shortages and for which the Austrian national hiring preference does not apply has increased from 45 to 66, marking This is the largest increase ever recorded in the Skilled Workers Ordinance (Fachkräfteverordnung 2022), and a sign that despite the slowdown in some sectors due to the pandemic (tourism, catering), skilled labour shortages continue to grow. The 66 professions on the list is wide ranging including roofers, welders, electrical fitters, truck and train drivers, as well as ITC managers and engineers, and engineers in all sectors, etc. In these professions, third-country nationals who meet the Austrian red-white-red card criteria can receive their permits and start work without having to undergo any further checks. “One of the priorities of the labour market reform announced by Federal Minister Kocher for Q2 2022 must be to reduce unemployment by improving both training for those without jobs and the rapid cross-regional placement of unemployed workers,” said Karlheinz Kopf, Secretary General of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce (WKÖ). He welcomed the expansion of the list, which should give companies more scope for recruitment.