Presentation by Ingeborg Friehs, Representative of the Austrian public employment services on the occasion of the EESC LMO conference on "Effective tools of active labour market policies during the crisis" (Brussels, 5 March 2013)

1. Active Labour Market Policies in
Austria
Effective tools of active labour market policies during the crisis
Brussels, 5 March 2013
Inge Friehs
Public Employment Service Austria

2. Measures against the crisis
The Federal Gouvernment of Austria passed several
packages of measures against the crisis in 2009:
Measures to stimulate the economy
Tax reform to promote demand
One year before entering school obligatory nursery
school free of charge
Several labour market packages
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3. Framework conditions
 Budget for ALMP steady at a high level (figures in
€MIO)
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
1,713 1,835 1,6546 1,641 1,731
 Increase in staff by 255 to 4885
 Additional need-based minimum benefit system
established
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4. Strategies and objectives
 Prevention of permanent exclusion
 Enhancement of education
 Objective: Extensive offer of assistance
 Target group: women, young people up to 25
 Effective support for companies to manage crisis
 Objectives:
– Maintaining as many people as possible in employment
– Ensuring the jobs by a better education
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5. Measures which proved to be
effective
 Short time work
 Settling-in allowance
 Supracompany apprenticeship training for young
people
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6. Short time work (1/2)
 To safeguard jobs in cases of unforseeable and
temporary financial troubles
 Partial compensation for reduced wages
 Cancelled working hours should be used to upgrade
skills
 Employees receive for every cancelled working hour
short-time working support or qualification support
instead of wage
 Social parntership agreement
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7. Short time work (2/2)
 Maximum duration 24 months
 Amount of funding:
– Fixed amount determined by PES
– From the 7th month employers get financial support for
social insurance contribution
 Cases:
2008 2009 2010 2011
Participants 8232 66505 23706 3879
Budget (in thousand €) 1.008 113.513 54.873 6.086
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8. Settling-in Allowance (1/4)
 Support for sucessful placements of disadvantaged
groups
 Wage subsidies to employers up to 66,7% of the
determination base
 During testing period (max. 3 months, disabled 6
months) up to 100%
 Support amount and funding period are agreed with
the employer
 Duration: max. 2 years, in case of disabled persons 3
years
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9. Settling-in Allowance (2/4)
 Target groups:
– women
– young adults up to 25
– men over 50
– long term unemployed
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10. Settling-in Allowance (3/4)
 Results of evaluation:
– 1 week after the eligibility period 2/3 were employed
– Particulary efficient for women and maternity leave –
returners
– Analysis of a five year follow-up period revealed: more days
in employment, a higher income and an fewer days of
unemployment in relation to the previous period.
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11. Settling-in Allowance (4/4)
 Special programme 2010: „Aktion 6000“
 In addition to the normal programme: 6000 persons
more
 Focused on unemployed graduates without job
experience
 50% of wage costs and additional costs paid by PES
for half a year
 Budget € 40MIO
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12. Supracompany apprenticeship
training (1/5)
 For young people who couldn`t find an
apprenticeship in the labour market
 Training guarantee:
Those who are registered as unemployed or apprenticeship-
seeking for more than 3 months will either get a suitable job,
an apprenticeship in the labour market or a training opportunity
provided by PES
 Apprenticeshiptraining in institutions (private and/or
non profit institutions)
 About 30 vocations
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13. Supracompany apprenticeship
training (2/5)
Two types:
a) Cooperation between an educational institution
and a public or private company training workshop
– Theoretical training in a vocational school
– Practical training in a company
– Training contract during the entire time of apprenticeship
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14. Supracompany apprenticeship
training (3/5)
b) Cooperation between an educational institution and
a private company
– Theoretical training in a vocational school
– Practical training in a company
– Training contract between the educational institution and the
apprentice (shorter than apprenticeship, usually 1 year)
– Goal: Transfer to apprenticeship in a company, if not
possible: change to type a)
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15. Supracompany apprenticeship
training (4/5)
 Participants receive comprehensive support:
– socio-pedagogical counselling
– learning support
– assistance with job search or apprenticeship search
 Allowance for participants: €240 in the first and
second year, €555 from the third year
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16. Supracompany apprenticeship
training (5/5)
 Number of participants:
2009 2010 2011 2012
12177 12788 13740 11717
 Expenses: Average expense € 11.000 per participant
and per year
 Results of evaluation:
– 80% changed to an appreticeship in a company
– On average 55% were in jobs after finishing their
apprenticeship
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17. Thank you for your attention!
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