Labor market: Nine out of ten companies find it difficult to find staff

This “mismatch”, which companies have been complaining about for a long time, would even tend to get worse, shows a survey by KSV1870 (credit protection association). According to the creditor protectors, a large proportion of companies want to keep their employees.

Labor shortage: “Not a short-term phenomenon”

According to the “Business Check” by KSV1870, for which around 1,100 companies were surveyed in March, 64 percent stated that finding employees remained difficult. 24 percent reported that the situation had become more challenging. Only around 8 percent saw an improvement compared to the previous year.

“The shortage of workers is not a short-term phenomenon, but rather a structural problem that is also due to demographic change. At the same time, there are many people who are looking for work, but the necessary qualifications are often missing – also in view of changing job profiles. This discrepancy slows down companies, makes their development more difficult and costs growth potential,” analyzes KSV1870 managing director Ricardo-José Vybiral.

Shortage, but still job cuts

As the survey also shows, 57 percent of companies want to keep their number of employees unchanged in the current year, while another 12 percent are considering downsizing. In contrast, only 13 percent of companies in Austria expect to increase their workforce, while the development for the remaining 18 percent depends on the economic situation over the course of the year.

Was planned staff reductions Vienna is the most important, with 16 percent and by sector Gastronomy and hotel industry severely affected at 18 percent, although there is a labor shortage here.