This report analyses the scope and characteristics of the posting of workers to and from Austria between 2020 and 2024, drawing on multiple data sources: PD A1 forms, prior notifications to Austrian authorities, the European Commission’s Road Transport Posting Declaration (RTPD) portal, and a survey of temporary work agencies. It also reviews recent enforcement data related to the violation of posting rules in Austria.
Austria remains predominantly a receiving country for posted workers. Incoming postings continued to increase until 2023, extending trends observed since 2011. From 2023 to 2024, postings to Austria declined, particularly in construction, likely reflecting weaker economic conditions and rising unemployment. The average duration of non-transport postings also shortened, contributing to a reduction in the number of posted workers measured in full-time equivalents (FTE), from 1.7% of total employment in 2019 to 0.75% in 2024.
Construction and transport continue to be the primary receiving sectors. Most postings originate from neighbouring countries, including Germany, Slovenia, Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Poland. Lithuania was a major source of transport postings in 2021–2022. Third-country nationals (TCNs) represented a significant share of postings in 2022, especially Ukrainians and Belarusians posted from Lithuania and Poland in transport, and Bosnian workers posted from Slovenia. Reported postings involving TCNs fell by half from 2022 to 2023, largely due to the shift of road transport notifications from national systems to the RTPD portal, which currently provides only partial and highly aggregated data.
From a sending-country perspective, Austrian postings increased until 2023, with differing sectoral dynamics: Austria is primarily a receiving country in transport, but both a sending and a receiving country in construction. Enforcement activity remained stable, while suspected underpayment and administrative infringements declined, potentially indicating improved compliance, though further research is needed to confirm underlying causes.
Data limitations continue to challenge the measurement of posting flows. Furthermore, a comparison of prior notifications with survey data suggests overreporting of posting numbers during the COVID-19 pandemic and, in general, overreporting of posting periods.
