A new study has found clear discrimination against refugees in Austria’s job market, and victims of the Graz school shooting have received the first payments from a state support fund, plus more stories from Austria on Friday.
Study finds refugees face discrimination in job applications
Refugees in Austria are significantly less likely to be invited to job interviews than equally qualified Austrian applicants, according to a new study cited by Der Standard. The research was commissioned by the Chamber of Labour and focused on applicants claiming Afghan origin.
Researchers sent more than 900 fictitious applications for jobs in Vienna and the surrounding area, matching CVs and education as closely as possible. The only difference between paired applications was the stated country of origin.
In retail roles with low formal requirements, 14.6 percent of Austrian applicants received interview invitations, compared with 6.1 percent of applicants claiming Afghan origin. The Chamber of Labour described the results as “alarming”.
First payments made to victims of Graz school shooting
Victims of the deadly school shooting in Graz in June have received the first payments from a special support fund, according to Die Presse. Around €1.5 million has been paid out so far.
The fund, set up by the Social Affairs Ministry, is worth up to €15 million and will run until 2029. It covers one-off financial assistance and psychosocial support for victims, relatives, and bereaved families.
An independent panel approved the payments. No details were given about individual amounts. The victims’ support organisation, Weißer Ring, said the money could not undo the suffering but hoped it would help those affected cope with what happened.
Vienna sees strong tourism numbers ahead of Christmas
Vienna is experiencing high visitor numbers in the run-up to Christmas, according to figures reported by ORF Vienna. Around 70 percent of hotel rooms are currently booked during the holiday period.
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The city recorded 1.7 million overnight stays in November, up 9 percent compared with the same month last year. Most visitors came from Germany, Austria, the United States, Italy, and the United Kingdom.
Tourism director Norbert Kettner said Vienna’s appeal remained strong. He added that crowding concerns were primarily limited to a few busy weekends and specific hotspots in the city centre.
Grey weather likely to dominate the Christmas period
Austria is facing a prolonged spell of grey and foggy weather, with little chance of snow for Christmas, according to Kurier. Meteorologists say persistent high pressure is trapping fog in low-lying areas.
Experts from GeoSphere Austria said drizzle could continue in parts of the country, while snowfall is not expected in the coming days. In many regions, especially in valleys and cities, sunshine has been scarce for weeks.
Conditions are sunnier above the fog line in the mountains, but the lack of fresh snow is already causing problems for some ski areas, which have had to close pistes due to mild temperatures.
What’s happening in Austria today
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At 11 am, the government holds a press conference reviewing its financial performance, with State Secretary Alexander Pröll, State Secretary Michaela Schmidt, and Education Minister Christoph Wiederkehr taking part.
A delegation from the National Council’s Foreign Affairs Committee travelled to Bratislava for an official visit. The programme included talks with members of the Slovak National Council’s foreign affairs committee.
In Vienna, shoppers were reminded of upcoming traffic restrictions ahead of the final Christmas shopping weekend. Innere Mariahilfer Straße and Neubaugasse will be closed to all vehicles on Saturday, December 20th, with authorities urging people to use public transport.
Weather-wise, fog or high fog was expected in many regions on Friday, with sunnier conditions in the Alps. Temperatures range from around 0C to 13C nationwide, with Vienna seeing highs of about 8C.
Coming up later on The Local
We are publishing a practical explainer on sick leave rules in Austria, including whether you need a Krankmeldung from your first day off work and what employers are legally allowed to ask.
Vocabulary
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die Herkunft – origin or background
das Bewerbungsgespräch – job interview
der Hilfsfonds – support or aid fund
der Nebel – fog
die Diskriminierung – discrimination
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