Job market and occupation

Johannes Kopf, CEO of the Austrian Public Employment Service

As part of the MCI Alumni & Friends lecture series the Entrepreneurial School® welcomed the CEO of the Austrian Public Employment Service (AMS), Johannes Kopf.

During his lecture, Kopf sketched the development of the Austrian labor market in recent years and identified factors that influence unemployment levels. He emphasized the 2009 world economic crisis, which resulted in the greatest increase of the unemployment rate in the last decades. Following an initial recovery of the labor market, the jobless rate has been increasing again continuously since 2012 and has now peaked at an all-time high. In a comparison of individual Austrian states, Kopf highlighted the difference between eastern and western states: Vorarlberg, Tyrol, Salzburg, and Upper Austria have an unemployment rate of less than 6.4 percent, while all other states exceed a rate of 8.2 percent. With 13.6 percent Vienna is well above average. The positive development in Tyrol is attributed to an established and successful mix of sectors. On the whole, Kopf’s view of the future is optimistic; yet he adds that “predictions are difficult, particularly when they concern the future” (Karl Valentin).

The event was moderated by MCI Rector Andreas Altmann and was concluded with an interesting discussion.

>>> Invitation