"The appointment of the scientific community as chair is an unprecedented development. The competences of the Austrian Pension Commission are defined by law. As chairperson and economist, it is important to me to fulfil these tasks based on scientific evidence. After all, creating the necessary decision-making basis for the long-term sustainability and appropriateness of Austrian retirement insurance is of central importance to society", says Christine Mayrhuber.
She was already a member of the Commission. Mayrhuber has been working on the structure and financing of the Austrian pension system for decades. The official appointment will be made by Social Affairs Minister Johannes Rauch in the coming days. "I am delighted that we can fill this important position with an independent, internationally recognised expert", said the Minister of Social Affairs. Ingrid Korosec, who most recently chaired the committee on an interim basis, will remain Deputy Chairwoman.
Mayrhuber has been working in the WIFO Research Group "Labour Economics, Income and Social Security" since 1999. Her research focuses on issues of income development and income distribution, the structure and financing of pension insurance, the redistributive effects of welfare state structures, and the new challenges for social security mechanisms in changing labour markets and under destandardised income patterns. Her projects for national and European clients (European Parliament) include issues of old-age security from a gender perspective. After studying economics at the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration, she was a research associate at the Institute for Advanced Studies before joining WIFO. Christine Mayrhuber is a recipient of the Käthe-Leichter Prize.
You can find more information on the Austrian Pension Commission here.
