Employment is increasing, 58 percent of employees are foreigners

The Number of employees im tourism has recently increased and was above both the pre-crisis and the previous year’s level. In November, 200,542 employed people were counted – an increase of three percent compared to 2019 and 0.7 percent compared to 2023. At the end of November 2024, 116,080 employees in tourism, or 58 percent, came from abroad. Of this, 58 percent came from EU member states, the economics minister calculated on Thursday Martin Kocher (ÖVP).

“From January to November 2024, 2,595 red-white-red cards were issued for tourism workers. In the whole of 2023 there were 1,064 and in 2022, before the major reform, only 348. In addition, we recently increased the seasonal quota for third-country nationals 490 places increased to 4,985 quota jobs (…). In high season, an excess of 50 percent is permitted,” said Kocher in a press release.

Minimum KV will increase to 2,000 euros gross in May 2025

Tourism State Secretary Susanne Kraus Winkler today referred to a survey by the Austrian Chamber of Commerce, according to which 93 percent of employees consider tourism an attractive employer, and 72 percent would apply to their company again. And she recalled the last increase in the collective agreement, which meant that the minimum salary would rise to 2,000 euros gross from May.