18.11.2021

Economists Panel on Unemployment Insurance

Video: WIFO Director Gabriel Felbermayr with Federal Minister Martin Kocher

The reform of unemployment insurance runs less in the context of impending mass unemployment than facing the problem of a "mismatch", that is, a gap between job vacancies and the supply of labour, agreed Labour Minister Martin Kocher, WIFO Director Gabriel Felbermayr and designated IHS Director Lars Feld at a roundtable of economists at the Ministry of Labour on 16 November 2021.

In Germany, the shortages resulting from demographic change can already be seen in the labour market, while Austria is ten years behind Germany in this respect, said Felbermayr. In terms of the working population, there are already as many vacant jobs in Austria as there were in the 1970s. "The issues to be addressed therefore include how to maintain the health of workers and their qualifications, and how to reconcile flexibility in the job with life phases".

The complete discussion moderated by Kurier's editor-in-chief Martina Salomon is available here.