Raising the Labour Force Potential of Women with Childcare Responsibilities in the Province of Carinthia

The utilisation of the labour force potential of women, an objective that Austria and the EU have increasingly pursued in recent decades, has become even more important with the increasing shortage of skilled workers. In this context, women in general as well as women with childcare obligations who do not (or cannot) participate in working life are increasingly coming into focus as unused labour force potential. In particular, women who can and want to return to work in principle after the birth of one or more children, but who do not see themselves as unemployed in the usual sense, and who in some cases are not actively looking for work, also represent a so-called “silent labour market reserve” that could be addressed to cover the labour shortage. However, due to care responsibilities, the way back into employment is often only conceivable after longer interruptions and via part-time or special working conditions that fit their living conditions.

The aim of the study is now to provide starting points for AMS Carinthia to increase the employment integration of this target group. In addition, a basis for other relevant actors from business, politics and administration is to be created in order to contribute to raising this unused labour potential and thus to equal opportunities for women and men on the labour market.