Working Poor: When Full-Time Work Is Not Enough to Live
According to a recent survey, around 120,000 employees in Austria are considered the working poor despite full-time work. They work full-time but still "cannot make ends meet" with their income. 54 percent of employees have "a good living" with their income, for 40 percent "it is just enough," and for six percent, it is "not enough," according to the AK Work Climate Index. AK Upper Austria Chief Andreas Stangl sees a need for political action.
Work Climate Index: Six Percent Cannot Make Ends Meet with Income
There are "massive differences" in income satisfaction based on education, gender, and migration background, explained FORESIGHT Chief Christoph Hofinger on Thursday during the presentation of the Work Climate Index in Vienna. Unskilled workers and employees in tourism are significantly more dissatisfied. Furthermore, women are more frequently affected by financial constraints than men, said the social researcher. Those who barely make ends meet with their income also suffer more frequently from stress and rate their own health worse, according to IFES Chief Reinhard Raml.
"When gainful employment does not provide a secure livelihood, daily life becomes a challenge," commented AK Upper Austria President Stangl on the results of the current Work Climate Index. To reduce the number of working poor, the AK Upper Austria Chief calls for more measures to combat inflation in energy, rents, and food, as well as a legal right to qualification. Furthermore, vocational qualifications should be able to be completed free of charge, and a free and quality-assured competence assessment should be made possible for employees.
More Than 330,000 People Massively Disadvantaged
Overall, significantly more people in Austria cannot afford the expenses of daily life. 3.7 percent of the domestic population - around 336,000 people - were significantly materially and socially disadvantaged in 2024, according to the Europe-wide survey on income and living conditions (EU-SILC), which is conducted annually in Austria by Statistics Austria. A person is considered "significantly materially and socially disadvantaged" if, according to their own statement, they cannot afford at least seven of the 13 EU-defined characteristics and activities of daily life. These range from unexpected expenses of 1,390 euros to a vacation per year to an adequately warm apartment, according to Statistics Austria.
Since 1997, the Chamber of Labor Upper Austria, together with the research institutes IFES and FORESIGHT, has been conducting the Work Climate Index as an indicator of job satisfaction and work-related stress. Through personal interviews and online surveys, around 4,000 people are surveyed annually on a representative basis.
(APA/Red)
This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.