Clearcutting: Why the Chamber of Commerce is cutting every fourth job

The dismantling should be as socially acceptable as possible

“The goal is a modern, effective representation of interests that is consistently oriented towards the requirements of the companies. We are reducing duplication, inefficiencies and confusion in the organization,” said WKÖ President Schultz in a press release on Tuesday.

Cessation of activities

As part of the realignment, existing structures are to be simplified, services are to be bundled, discontinued or integrated into existing organizational units. In individual cases, activities should be stopped completely, for example at the think tank oecolution. This also includes closing the “wise up” training platform and integrating it into the WiFi.

Savings of 100 million euros

Schultz’s calculation is simple, but the implementation is complex: she wants to save local entrepreneurs 100 million euros annually from 2030. The money should remain primarily in Chamber levy 2, the compulsory levy that is calculated based on the number of employees and is particularly painful for companies. The head of the chamber promises that the dismantling should be “socially acceptable”. Apprentices and trainees are exempt from job cuts, as are employees of legally independent professional associations.

Mahrer’s resignation

Harald Mahrer, Schultz’s predecessor, stumbled upon a planned salary increase for chamber employees in mid-November 2025 and a completely unsuccessful communication. The Tyrolean entrepreneur and WKÖ Vice President was appointed as an interim successor. As a result, the increase in compensation for top positions was suspended.

Clear message

In mid-April, the Tyrolean was elected as the new president by the General Assembly of the Economic Association with 99.3 percent of the votes. She immediately announced extensive reforms. Their message is clear: the WKÖ is too expensive, too bloated, too far away from the companies. She brought in external reinforcement for the reform. The management consultancy KPMG has been analyzing the structures since the beginning of the year and is expected to support the conversion until the end of 2027.

Two of the three deputy positions eliminated

Most recently, she eliminated two of the three deputy positions held by Secretary General Jochen Danninger in the General Secretariat. Thomas Spann, one of the previous vice-presidents, is now “Head of Transformation”. His colleague Eva-Maria Liebmann is moving to the Styrian Chamber of Commerce.

“In this role, he will drive forward the ongoing reform measures on behalf of the President, act as a central interface to the reform efforts of the state chambers and at the same time pay particular attention to the realignment of the WKÖ’s communications activities,” it continues.

Reform demanded in the state chamber

The pressure is not just on the WKO. The nine state chambers also have to save – how much is being negotiated behind closed doors. “The announced job cuts at the Vienna headquarters can only be a first step. The majority of the chamber’s contributions remain in the nine state chambers, where there is also a significant need for reform,” said Unos, the economic organization of the Neos in the WKO. In the Vienna Chamber of Commerce, on the other hand, they want to focus on increasing efficiency and natural fluctuation, according to the WKW.