On 13 September 2023, Austria’s ruling coalition (conservative ÖVP and Ecologist parties) voted on September abolish the ‘blocked progressive retirement’ model by 2029. Opponents, notably the trade unions, see this as a further tightening of an employment policy aimed at keeping older workers in employment for as long as possible before the statutory retirement age.
In 2000, Austria introduced a publicly funded system of part-time retirement (Altersteilzeit) with which employees could choose between two options: progressive retirement and ‘blocked progressive retirement’. Regular progressive retirement can commence from up to 5 years prior to the statutory retirement age (65 for men, 60 for women), and can therefore be spread over a maximum of 5 years.
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Article authors
Thomas Schnee
Correspondent in Germany
As a Berlin correspondent for the French and Swiss press since the late 1990s, I cover a wide range of economic, political and social issues, with a particular focus on the German business and labour market. My areas of interest include co-determination, digitalisation, demographics and ESG/DEI policies.