Innsbruck – In the course of the travel restrictions for Tyrol by the federal government, the AMS has stopped the supra-regional placement of workers in the state. In the previous year there was already a far lower placement rate than in 2019. While 41,450 jobseekers were placed back then, there were only 28,721 in 2020, a decrease of 31 percent. The strongest year-on-year decrease was in April with 89 percent.

In January 2021, the decrease compared to January 2020 was 74 percent, although at the beginning of last year the coronavirus still seemed far away in this country – while this year was welcomed in lockdown. These figures reflect the active supraregional placement by the labor market service, the overwhelming number of jobseekers look for work here using the services of the AMS, such as job alarms on mobile phones, says AMS boss Johannes Kopf.

The fear of some restaurateurs and hoteliers that the long lockdown would mean that employees would look for other industries is a bit exaggerated by Kopf. It is true, however, that employees are increasingly taking further training in other areas – for which the AMS is also “to blame”. “We are currently offering a huge training program, this is the best time to take advantage of this educational opportunity,” said Kopf in an interview with the APA. This program also extends to tourism and gastronomy. A challenge for the future labor market – not only in Austria – that is still far too little heeded is climate change. (APA)