Wage Trends and Wage Differentials in Manufacturing since 2000

In the course of technological change and the globalisation of the labour market, the share of blue-collar workers employed by Austria's manufacturing industry has fallen sharply in the period from 2000 to 2010. While the number of white-collar workers remained roughly unchanged, the number of blue-collar workers dropped significantly. The shift in demand for more highly skilled labour may have weakened the bargaining position of blue-collar workers in manufacturing.