9 out of 10 part-time

“When a woman becomes a mother, the old role model applies”

The Upper Austrian Chamber of Labor asked 3500 women between the ages of 18 and 35 about their needs. Unsurprisingly, it turns out that balancing work and family is still perceived as a challenge. "If a woman has a child, we fall back into the old role model," writes one participant in the study.

90 percent of women with children in the country work part-time and not always voluntarily. This is the result of a survey conducted by the IBE on behalf of the Chamber of Labor, in which 3576 women between the ages of 18 and 35 took part.

Upper Austria brings up the rear when it comes to childcare
There are still not enough childcare places available. 34 percent of those surveyed are (rather) dissatisfied with the places available in crèches, 42 percent with the cost of childcare. "Upper Austria is the second worst federal state in terms of the availability of childcare," says AK President Andreas Stangl.

Part-time also interesting for those without children
What is an emergency solution for mothers is also an option for 23 percent of women without children. The only difference is the motivation: Mothers cite the incompatibility of family and career as the main reason for working part-time, while women without children want more time for hobbies, further education or cite stress and pressure at work as reasons.

Several consequences
"Part-time workers pay twice over," says Viktoria Reisinger, Women's and Gender Equality Policy at the AK Upper Austria. "In addition to a lower income, they have to expect a lower pension or receive less unemployment benefit if they lose their job."

Demands of the AK
In order to ensure a better work-life balance, the Chamber of Labor is calling for the expansion of childcare facilities and, for example, equal opportunities for women in terms of recruitment and promotion, more flexible working hours, home office options and the right to switch between full-time and part-time work.