Austria offers free housing to tackle the winter workers' crisis
Austria is launching a wide international recruitment campaign at the beginning of winter, offering free accommodation and additional benefits for foreign workers to fill the significant shortage of seasonal employees. Ski resorts and hotels hope these incentives will help attract candidates quickly.
Across the country, especially in Carinthia and Styria, companies are looking for waitresses, bartenders, and service staff through platforms like EURES and the Spanish service SEPE, targeting workers from other EU countries, particularly from Romania and Spain, where these offers have received wide coverage.
The Romanian site Libertatea pointed out that salaries approaching 30,000 euros annually are considered high, describing Austria as one of the richest countries in Europe. Many employers offer additional benefits including free meals and single rooms equipped with a private bathroom, large TV, internet cable, and Wi-Fi service.
The tasks usually include serving guests, providing food and drinks, and managing daily tasks, with the necessity of being kind and able to work as part of a team. The jobs require good language skills, often at a B1 level in English or A2 in German, with the possibility of a higher salary for candidates with more experience or better qualifications. Some hotels also offer discounts on ski and winter sports tickets, or free access to fitness and spa centers.
Citizens of the European Union benefit from simplified procedures; a special work permit is required, while registration with local authorities becomes necessary only when staying for more than three months. However, the main problem remains that these jobs are seasonal and limited to a duration of no more than six months.