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Seasonal workers number cut

There will be 3.5 per cent fewer foreign seasonal workers in agriculture and forestry this year than in 2009, Social Democratic (SP�) Labour Minister Rudolf Hundstorfer said today (Thurs).

He added that the number would be limited 10,415. There will also be 6,990 openings for harvest workers, 2.5 per cent down on last year.

The minister said his policy was to approve a foreign seasonal worker only if an unemployed Austrian could not be found to do the job. As before, he said, seasonal workers from new EU member states would be given preference over those from other countries.

He said asylum applicants who wanted to do seasonal work would also be given preference over those from non-EU member states. That way, he said, asylum applicants could cover part of the cost of their support and relieve pressure on the federal budget.

Hundstorfer said citizens of the eight new EU member states would have free access to the Austrian labour market from May 2011. Those states currently provide 80 per cent of Austria�s foreign seasonal workers.

There is growing pressure on the minister to do something about rising unemployment in Austria.

Statistics presented by the labour ministry early this month showed that more people than ever were out of work in February.

Officials said the figure of 312,906 was the highest in the country�s post-war history. If people taking re-education courses offered by the Labour Market service (AMS) are added, the February figures jump to 396,332, a 10.2 per cent year on year increase.

Hundstorfer warned that 2010 would be a "very difficult year".

AMS head Johannes Kopf warned unemployment figures would not improve this year or next. Kopf said he expected the situation to improve by 2012 at the earliest.

He also claimed the liberalisation of the Austrian labour market in May 2011 would make the situation worse.

Austrian Times

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