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Factsheet for measure AT-2015-10/2522 – measures in Austria

Qualification barometer

Qualifikationsbarometer

Country Austria , applies nationwide
Time period Open ended, started on 01 March 2015
Context Green Transition, Restructuring Support Instruments
Type Other initiatives or policies
Category Ensuring business continuity and support for essential services
– Smoothing frictions or reallocation of workers
Author Bernadette Allinger (Forba) and Eurofound
Measure added 23 June 2022 (updated 28 October 2022)

Background information

The instrument structures occupations in three levels in accordance to skills and education required for them. In this system, it covers 15 occupational fields on the first level, 93 occupational groups on the second level and subordinated occupational groups on the third level. The platform also rises public attention on green jobs and environment sustainability at workplace.

Content of measure

The qualification barometer is an extensive online information system on qualification trends. The barometer compiles and organises information on current and future qualification requirements and all information is made publicly available through the internet. It involves the secondary analyses of statistical data provided by the Main Association of Austrian Social Insurance Funds Hauptverband der Sozialversicherungsträger , Statistik Austria and the Public Employment Service AMS , as well as studies on the development of qualification requirements and the labour market. Additionally, job advertisements in Austria are analysed (until 2015, its main sources were daily and weekly print media, but since 2016 the barometer also relies on online job advertisements using the platform 'jobfeed' .

Moreover, interviews are held with experts in different occupational areas, such as HR managers, heads of education and training organisations and representatives of professional and trade associations to gain deeper knowledge on future trends and requirements in qualifications.

Funding via the public employment service (Arbeitsmarktservice, AMS). It is run by the public employment service (AMS) together with two other bodies, see details under 'other' for further information.

The qualification barometer is run by the public employment service (AMS), the consultancy 3s Unternehmensberatung and the Federal Economic Chambers (WKO) subsidiary 'Institute for Research on Qualifications and Training of the Austrian Economy' (IBW).

Examples:

As of May 2019, the latest date available on the website provides predictions for the total number of available jobs in 2019. For example, the barometer predicts 62,481 jobs for the building and woodwork sector, or 107,220 jobs in trade and logistics.

In May 2020, the website has stated that it is not possible to make reliable predictions of further trends and developments for the qualification barometer because of COVID-19. While there are no predictions, the site still provides numbers on the current vacancies. As an example: as of November 2020, with 1,987 vacancies, the largest number of jobs is available in the field of healthcare.

Use of measure

The qualification barometer is the only online information tool on qualification trends in Austria. Information is available on qualification levels, professions, and regions.

The tool provides comprehensive, extensive and current information on developments within the labour market and subsequent demand for specific qualifications. It can be used to forecast future developments in the labour market and possible changes in demands for skills.

As with other predictive tools the qualification barometer might capture developments of short-term nature that can lead to distortions that may result in some trends being given too much significance.

Target groups

Workers Businesses Citizens
Employees in standard employment
Applies to all businesses Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors Funding
National government
Public employment service
National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

Trade unions Employers' organisations
Role Unknown Unknown
Form Not applicable Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

  • Unknown
  • Main level of involvement: Unknown

Involvement

Unknown

Views and reactions

Unknown

Sources

Citation

Eurofound (2022), Qualification barometer, measure AT-2015-10/2522 (measures in Austria), EU PolicyWatch, Dublin, https://static.eurofound.europa.eu/covid19db/cases/AT-2015-10_2522.html

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