This country report presents a comprehensive overview of the posting of workers between EU/EEA countries and Austria. The available data show postings to and from Austria occur at large and increasing numbers. We estimate the number of postings to Austria in 2019 to have been at least 320,480, the number of unique posted workers at least 85,697, and posted persons in full-time equivalents 41,462, i.e., about 1.7% of the work carried out by individuals living in Austria in 2019. Outgoing postings have also increased but remain below the number of incoming postings. Data show seasonal characteristics with the peak reached in the period July-October. Estimates on sectoral incoming postings are possible only for construction (28%) and transport (three fourths of all postings). Yet, in full-time equivalents postings in construction represent 44.5% of all posted work (excluding the transport sector) done in Austria. Industry and construction were the dominant sectors for outgoing postings. In 2019, the number of construction workers posted to Austria was equivalent to 5.2% of all people working in the Austrian construction sector. About one fifth of workers posted to Austria are non-EU citizens. Based on data from the inspection authorities, we estimate between 0.9% and 10% of all individuals posted to Austria were underpaid in 2019, and the most prevalent sector is construction. Among the inspections, the non-notifications of postings account for 0.56 of complaints. Although fake postings, hazardous working conditions and bogus self-employment are identified as occurring, more data are required to estimate their true extent. There was a drop in the number of postings at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020 followed by a fast recovery after March 2020. The Austrian experience shows that the application of the equal pay principle now incorporated in the Directive (EU) 2018/957 did not prevent a steady increase in postings to Austria, and that certain posting undertakings might still circumvent their obligations. Additional data are necessary to estimate the scope of posting more accurately and comprehensively and to better measure its impact on the Austrian economy. Better data would also help better trace issues of fraud and legal violations in the posting of workers, which would inform enforcement agencies on where to concentrate their efforts.
