AUSTRIA

Austria is a federal state in central Europe with a parliamentary democracy. The country has been a member of the UN since 1955, and in 1995 it became a member of the European Union. The capital, Vienna, has 1.65 million inhabitants and the metropolitan area has about 2.2 million inhabitants. It is the political, industrial, economic and cultural centre of the country.

The economy
Austria is an industrial country with a small domestic market and thus foreign trade is key. Commodity groups in exports are machinery and equipment, motor vehicles and car components, medical and pharmaceutical products, iron, steel and metal goods, paper and cardboard. Special importance lies in the export of services.

In the context of economic development in Europe, Austria is marked by aboveaverage growth with the lowest unemployment rate of 4.8 percent, and is acknowledged as one of the most stable countries in the world.

Employment services
Austria is also a member of the EURES (European Employment Services) network founded by the European Commission, which supports free movement of workers within the EU/EEA countries and Switzerland. Within this network Austria cooperates closely with the Slovak Republic, which joined the EURES network on May 1, 2004. Austrian EURES advisers who operate at labour offices – AMS (Arbeitsmarktservice) – provide information to Slovak EURES advisers on living and working conditions in Austria and support labour mobility by publishing vacancies from Austrian employers who are interested in employing Slovak workers. Offers are published on the national webpage of the EURES network http://www.eures.sk.

Austrian employers are looking for qualified employees in numerous professions like masons, plumbers, tile layers, welders, locksmiths as well as biochemists, pharmacists, chemists and biotechnologists. The prevailing interest of Austrian employers is in recruiting workers for the winter season for hotel and gastronomy services, e.g. cooks, waiters, bartenders, chambermaids and kitchen staff.

The labour market is open to all professions and occupations. There are also regulated professions where it is necessary to have a certified qualification or diploma.

Due to the interest of Austrian employers, the EURES Slovakia network in cooperation with EURES Austria organises job interviews for Slovak citizens on the territory of the Slovak Republic.

Last October the “AUSTRO-GERMAN DAY” took place in Bratislava, which was attended by Austrian and German employers, recruitment agencies as well as EURES advisers from the regions of Tyrol and Salzburg. Job positions were offered for the winter season for hotel and gastronomy services and jobs in the pharmaceutical, construction, logistics, technology and IT sectors.

Representatives of Austria also participated in the International Job Fair called JobExpo 2013 in Nitra, which took place on April 18-19, 2013, with job offers for various sectors of industry, construction, and hotel and gastronomy services.

In case you are interested in working and living in Austria, use the services of the EURES network through EURES advisers in Slovakia or Austria whose contact addresses can be found at: http://www.eures.sk or http://www.eures.europa.eu.

Ľubica Cibulová , EURES adviser
Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family, Nitra