New red-white-red card against shortage of skilled workers – salzburg.ORF.at
tourism
A reform of the red-white-red card should now effectively remedy the fear for skilled workers in tourism. Reported by the Salzburg labor market service. The changes have been in effect since October 1st.
With almost 11,400 vacancies in the state of Salzburg and a minimal unemployment rate of currently 3.2 percent, the local tourism industry in particular is now looking for skilled workers again before the start of the winter season. As a popular destination for winter vacationers, Salzburg’s hoteliers and restaurateurs are traditionally heavily dependent on workers from third countries when looking for seasonal workers.
As a result of the reform of the federal government’s red-white-red card, the quota for the state of Salzburg was more than tripled from almost 300 in 2020 to almost 900 seasonal workers this year, said AMS state manager Jacqueline Beyer: “A very special one Of course, the increase in the seasonal quota for tourism will also bring relaxation.”
In the last year, the applications have already increased for third-country nationals. “And if you now take the care sector specifically, with the new reform we could now approve the last ten cases that we had to reject and specialists would be available,” added Beyer.
Registration as a regularly employed seasonal worker
AMS Managing Director Beyer expects that the new opportunity for seasonal workers who are regularly employed in Salzburg to register as regular seasonal workers and receive a work permit regardless of quotas should also ease things further.
All those who have been employed in Salzburg for three months in three calendar years within five years can register as regular seasonal workers and then receive a work permit regardless of quotas. If they have been in Austria as regular seasonal workers for at least two years to work seven months a year, they can now receive the red-white-red card regardless of their age and qualifications.
Appropriate knowledge of German and the prospect of a permanent employment relationship are prerequisites for this.