Expanding the labor force potential
Duration:
05/2024
—
09/2025
Total project duration:
1,5 years
Photo: JOANNEUM RESEARCH/Bergma
The project
The study analyzes how many people of working age who are not in employment in Austria represent a potentially activatable labor force, what motives and barriers underlie their participation in the labor market, and what measures could contribute to better integration of this heterogeneous group into the labor market.
Our activities in the project
A team from JOANNEUM RESEARCH POLICIES is conducting the necessary preliminary analyses, empirical data collection and analysis, consolidation of research results, and derivation of options for action within the framework of the project.
Research groups
Downloads
Contracting Authority
Arbeitsmarktservice Österreich, Abt. Arbeitsmarktforschung und Berufsinformation / ABI; Arbeitsmarktservice Österreich, Abt. Arbeitsmarktpolitik für Frauen
Project partners
CARITAS
Details of the project
The potentially activatable labor force potential of people not in employment in Austria amounted to 291,000 in 2024, three-quarters of whom are women. Over a ten-year period, this potential declined by around 20%, mainly due to rising female labor force participation. Trend analyses show a dual dynamic: around 40% make the transition into employment within five years and a further 10% register with the AMS, while around 40% remain persistently distant from the labor market. The qualitative analysis identifies several subgroups with different motives and barriers: people with family care responsibilities, people with migration and recognition barriers, people with mental or physical health issues, and people who have experienced frustration or resignation. Being out of work can mostly be explained by structural factors; gainful employment is very important to many of the people surveyed.
