Direct Request (CEACR) - adopted 2003, published 92nd ILC session (2004)

Employment Policy Convention, 1964 (No. 122) - Austria (Ratification: 1972)

The Committee notes the comprehensive information contained in the Government’s reports for the period ending May 2003 that includes a complete evaluation of its active employment policy.

1. Articles 1 and 2 of the Convention. The Government expresses its satisfaction with the results achieved through its active employment policy implemented in the five-year plan ended in 2002 and indicates that it will seek to strengthen its programmes and actions through the adoption of a new National Action Plan for Employment (NAPE). The new plan is to reinforce the active labour market policy through measures including, inter alia, increasing training allowances, broadening the range of training opportunities, focusing on training contents that are in demand, implementing programmes aimed at enhancing the status of women, taking measures to make technical scientific work and handicraft more attractive to women, and implementing the "Pact for older people". The Committee would appreciate being kept informed of progress made in the implementation of the NAPE. Please also state whether special difficulties have been encountered in attaining the objectives of the NAPE and indicate how far these difficulties have been overcome.

2. The data show that the economy slowed down in 2002 as domestic demand decreased and investment activity fell relative to the previous year (-4.9 per cent). The Government indicates that due to the poor economic conditions it was unable to meet the target it had set in its National Action Plan for Employment for 2000 of no more than 3.5 per cent unemployment by 2002. Supplemented by the data published by the OECD, the report demonstrates that the employment situation deteriorated slightly during the period in question. The unemployment rate, which was 3.7 per cent in 2000, has increased to 4.3 per cent in 2002. Please continue to provide detailed statistics on the level and trends of the active population, employment, underemployment and unemployment in the various sectors of activity and for the different categories of the population.

3. The Government indicates that in 2001 it introduced additional measures to complement its existing active labour market policy. These measures included, inter alia, improved access to subsidies for part-time employment of older workers, further educational benefits for older workers, an employment campaign known as the "disability billion" to integrate people with disabilities into the labour market, as well as reforms in the Public Employment Service (AMS) introducing greater accessibility and upgrading self-service options. Additionally, the Government has also introduced an initiative to combat discrimination and inequality within the labour market dubbed Equal, as well as pursuing its gender mainstreaming strategy in all fields and establishing an inter-ministerial work group with a view to implementing these strategies in the fields of activities of the respective ministries. The Committee has taken note of the variety of programmes the Government has introduced and wishes to remain informed on further developments in this respect.

4. The Committee would be grateful if the Government in its next report would provide information on consultations under Article 3.