Circular Jobs in Vienna

Vienna is internationally recognised as a model city due to its high quality of life. To ensure this quality of life in the long term, even as the effects of climate change become increasingly evident, strategic and effective measures for climate protection and climate adaptation are necessary. The circular economy offers a wide range of opportunities in this regard and aims to reduce the use of primary raw materials, close material and product loops, keep resources in the system of use for as long as possible, and increase value creation and resource efficiency throughout the entire life cycle of products.

Against this backdrop, this project aims to identify potential changes resulting from the circular economy that can be taken into account in labour market policy measures and support instruments. As a first step, a conceptual framework for the circular economy will be developed. Subsequently, these findings will be translated into a labour market context to identify sectors relevant to the Vienna labour market in which the circular economy transformation is expected to have an impact on employees. These sectors will be analysed in depth at the level of functional and occupational areas relevant to the circular economy. Building on this, a mapping and classification process will be used to systematically illustrate and empirically validate the extent to which circular economy activities are relevant within individual occupational fields, with the aim of formulating, on this basis, specific recommendations for action regarding the retention of skilled workers and measures for initial and continuing professional development.

A mixed-methods approach combining quantitative and qualitative analyses will be employed, comprising a systematic review of the relevant literature on the circular economy, analyses of secondary statistical data, as well as expert interviews and validation workshops.

The project is being conducted in cooperation with the Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO), Julia Bock-Schappelwein and Ina Meyer. L&R is primarily involved in conducting the qualitative analysis through interviews and workshops, as well as in deriving recommendations for action. The Austrian Insittue of Economic Research is responsible for the overall project coordination.